Coronavirus: US conservatives spark backlash after socialising against official health advice

Governor deleted tweet of family dinner in restaurant after outraged response

Oklahoma governor Kevin Stitt, has declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak just a day after he was slammed for tweeting a picture of his family at a crowded restaurant.

Mr Stitt deleted the tweet following the backlash, and his Twitter feed is now topped with a video in which he explains how his administration will “continue to remain proactive to protect all four million Oklahomans”.

“If you are healthy and at low risk for Covid-19, be smart and use common sense,” he said, common sense being the very thing he was criticised for lacking when he took his children out to eat the night before.

His tweet came on the heels of another from Texas senator John Cornyn, who posted a shot of a half-drunk bottle of Corona beer with the words: “Be smart; don’t panic. We will get us through this #coronavirus”. He tweeted the picture just as the Senate took a brief holiday.

Others on the right have run into trouble for their posts railing against public health advice imploring them to stay away from public gatherings.

Conservative favourite and former Ms Nevada State Katie Williams drew ire from across the board when she tweeted her defiance of orders to stay at home: “I just went to a crowded Red Robin and I’m 30”.

Replying to a warning tweet from Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she wrote: “It was delicious, and I took my sweet time eating my meal. Because this is America. And I’ll do what I want.”

Conservative pastor Rodney Howard-Browne, meanwhile, was shown on video telling a congregation to “turn round and greet two or three people”, saying: “We are not stopping anything … this church will never close. The only time the church is closed is when the rapture’s taking place”.

Many in the US are noticing poor compliance with efforts to enforce “social distancing”, with young people in particular pictured crowding into bars and restaurants. Some states have taken radical steps in response, closing down many venues and businesses where people gather in large numbers.