Does Reynolds Agree With Ernst COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Are Overcounted?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

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Does Reynolds Agree With Ernst’s Conspiracy Theories that COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Are Overcounted?

After Ernst and Reynolds Downplayed and Ignored COVID-19 Spread, Iowa is Now the Worst Pandemic Hotspot in the Country

DES MOINES — As a White House report named Iowa the worst state in the nation for its COVID-19 rates, Senator Joni Ernst peddled debunked conspiracy theories that downplay COVID-19 cases and deaths – even going “so far as to accuse doctors and nurses of inflating the figure for increased compensation.”

First reported by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Senator Ernst claimed to be “so skeptical” of the reported coronavirus numbers, saying that there may only be “10,000 or less deaths” caused by COVID-19, versus the over 180,000 reported coronavirus deaths across the country.

Today, Governor Reynolds needs to answer if she agrees with Senator Ernst’s debunked conspiracy theory that COVID-19 deaths are being inflated by health care providers for profit. Or will she remain silent as Ernst attempts to erase the pain of over 1,100 Iowa families whose loved ones have died from the virus?

Both Governor Reynolds and Senator Ernst repeatedly downplayed this crisis and have been vehemently opposed to a mask mandate – despite urging from medical experts and the White House’s coronavirus task force. Throughout the course of the pandemic, Governor Reynolds has followed in lockstep with President Trump’s chaotic mishandling and refusal to follow CDC guidelines. At the same time, Senator Ernst has allowed urgent pandemic relief to be held up by political games and continued to downplay the threat of the virus, after saying that Iowa “fared pretty well.”