An Ohio lawmaker called for people to stop being tested for the corona virus while criticizing state orders that require some people to wear masks in public.
“Are you tired of living in a dictatorship?” Republic of Republic Rep. Nino Vitale writes in Facebook posts Tuesday.
“This is what happens when people go crazy and get tested. STOP CAN BE TESTED! This gives the government a reason to claim something is happening that doesn’t happen as much as they say is happening. “
His comments came after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, announced a mandate requiring people in seven Ohio counties – including the Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus areas – to wear masks in public places, starting this week.
The order stated that people in Butler, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Hamilton, Huron, Montgomery and Trumbull counties had to wear masks in public places because they had a high number of COVID-19 cases.
“In addition to being socially distanced and reducing unnecessary interactions with others, we know that wearing a mask helps protect others in the community,” DeWine said Tuesday before launching an order.
“We have seven separate counties with a large number of people in the state of Ohio that we feel have a major crisis imminent.”
While health officials have stressed the importance of testing to identify those infected by the virus – and to determine where it spreads – several elected officials have underestimated the need for testing.
In May, Vitale introduced a law that would prohibit Ohio officials from needing a mask without a two-thirds majority vote from the Senate and the Ohio House of Representatives.
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend wearing a cloth face mask in public to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Vitale did not immediately return the Post’s request to comment.
