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Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho, left, speaks to a group of local government and business leaders earlier this week.
Fear of coronavirus is sweeping the nation, but there is one U.S. representative from Florida who is not as susceptible to the panic.
Republican U.S. Rep Ted Yoho, who represents Florida’s Third District, which includes Putnam County, said the virus has been blown out of proportion, likening local, state and national response to cinematic fiction.
“It is not this Hollywood movie ‘Contagion,’ where people are going to spit blood,” Yoho said. “… There’s more people that die of diarrhea every year due to cholera.”
However, several officials in Putnam County are concerned.
At 6 p.m. Friday, the Board of County Commissioners unanimously declared Putnam County to be in a state of emergency, which will last until at least March 20.
Similarly, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency March 2 for Florida. President Donald Trump declared the United States to be in a state of national emergency Friday afternoon.
“It’s scary,” said Mary Garcia, administrator of the state Department of Health in Putnam County. “You watch those red dots across the globe, and guess what. It’s a little scary. Why? Because we just haven’t had this before.”
During Friday’s emergency meeting, the Board of County Commissioners announced that the Putnam County Fair was canceled.
Yoho said the decision is “irrational” and “illogical.” He said businesses are likely shutting down to due liability reasons and a fear of being sued.
“We’ve seen (cancellations) in small towns all across the country,” Yoho said. “It is a pandemic, but is it an epidemic? This is something people need to ask.”
Yoho said the flu is worse than coronavirus, but he encourages government agencies to do what they think is best for their residents, even if he doesn’t agree with their actions.
“I would run my business if it was me,” Yoho said. “I think all of these shutdowns are going to cause a ripple effect that we’ve never seen before.”