Politics

CNN’s Sanjay Gupta Blasts Georgia’s Lifting Of Remaining Coronavirus Restrictions: ‘So Much Of This Doesn’t Need To Happen’

Screenshot/CNN

Brandon Gillespie Media Reporter
Font Size:

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta blasted Georgia’s lifting of all remaining restrictions pertaining to the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday.

Gupta criticized the changes while appearing on “The Lead With Jake Tapper,” and expressed his concern over the potential for unnecessary sickness and death, saying “so much of this doesn’t need to happen.” (RELATED: ‘Come On, Let’s Get Serious’: Anthony Fauci Says He Was ‘Taken Totally Out Of Context’ On Wearing Masks Into 2022)

Tapper began by noting to Gupta that Georgia lifted all of its remaining coronavirus restrictions on Thursday and that Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp “declared Georgia open for business.” He then asked Gupta what he thought of the decision and if it was premature.

“It’s been every step of the way here, we do things prematurely, we pay the price. I mean, we’re so close, we feel the light on our face now in terms of getting to a much better place with this pandemic, and we’re going to sort of slow ourselves down,” Gupta responded. “I’m still optimistic that we are going to get to a much better place over the next few months, but we’re going to slow ourselves down, and there will be people who get sick, hospitals will become full, or at least more patients will be in the hospital than before with Covid than necessary.

“So, I mean, the frustration, Jake, and it’s been a frustration for a long time, is that so much of this doesn’t need to happen. There’s an urgency, people want to get out and about, I understand that. But there are going to be people who get sick that don’t need to, and maybe even people who die that don’t need to as a result of these decisions,” he concluded.

Kemp announced Wednesday that all remaining restrictions enacted to combat the coronavirus pandemic would be lifted beginning Thursday, according to The Hill. These restrictions included a ban on large gatherings, requirements for businesses to enforce social distancing, and the ability for authorities to shut down businesses that violated restrictions. Georgia’s decision followed Mississippi and Texas, who lifted all restrictions in March, with both states seeing declining numbers of coronavirus cases in the weeks following.