Collins Says Georgia Should Be “An Example” for Coronavirus Response As Death Toll Hits Second Highest Point Yet

Collins again downplays coronavirus outbreak while dismissing spikes in cases and hospitalizations

ATLANTA — As Georgia reported its second-highest daily toll of coronavirus-related deaths Tuesday, Congressman Doug Collins was busy claiming that the state’s coronavirus response “should be used as an example” of how states should reopen even with Georgia “headed for a crisis.”

But that’s not all. With “COVID-19 hospitalizations soar[ing] past previous highs,” Collins continued to dismiss the devastating impact of the outbreak, saying, “Yes, there are gonna be spikes in cases. Yes, there are gonna be more hospitalizations.”

This isn’t the first time Collins has tried to downplay the coronavirus threat. Just weeks ago, Collins claimed in a Fox News interview that he’s seen “nothing at this point that would even come remotely close to taxing our system” even as the virus was pushing hospitals to “crisis levels.” Instead of fighting for greater relief for Georgians, he’s been focused on trying to “cut back” on unemployment insurance for out-of-work Georgians as the coronavirus and its economic fallout surge across the state.

“Georgia’s coronavirus outbreak is worse than ever, but Congressman Doug Collins is still more focused on scoring political points with the White House than fighting for real relief for Georgia families in this pandemic,” said Alex Floyd, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “Calling the Kemp administration’s disastrous response a good ‘example’ just shows how out of touch Collins is when it comes to looking out for Georgians in a crisis.”

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