SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — Medical professionals, scientists, community leaders and County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher held a media conference Monday to address the battle against COVID-19.
Supervisor Fletcher said now is the time to battle COVID-19, not each other. Fletcher urged residents to focus on fighting COVID-19 rather than the business restrictions imposed by the ongoing pandemic.
"The reopening of businesses should not be pitted against keeping our residents safe. The most immediate threat to the viability of our businesses, our kid’s education, our people and our way of life as San Diegans is this deadly virus. If we allow the virus to become stronger, more powerful, then we all lose. COVID is the enemy. San Diegans need to be safe, be strong and beat COVID," Fletcher said.
San Diego County Supervisor Kristin Gaspar released the following statement Monday in response to Supervisor Fletcher's media conference:
“This morning Supervisor Fletcher held a hellfire and brimstone press conference in which he ironically and incorrectly blamed me for playing politics with COVID. Let me set the record straight: I have never supported any approach to re-opening that was not specifically supported by our Public Health Officer and clinical leadership team. Supervisor Fletcher knows this but prefers to continue spreading this false narrative because he is actively running a campaign against me. I measured the distance between our office doors, and it is 7 feet, so he and I can actually have a socially distanced conversation anytime he isn’t holding a press conference. I will continue to do my job protecting public health and working with small businesses and leave the politics to Supervisor Fletcher.”
Medical professionals who spoke during the media conference on Monday from across San Diego included the following:
- Dr. Rodney Hood, Chief Executive Officer, Care View Medical Group
- Dr. Holly Yang, President, San Diego Medical Society
- Dr. Christian Ramers, Chief of Population Health, Family Health Centers of San Diego
- Dr. Maria Carriedo-Ceniceros, Chief Medical Officer, San Ysidro Health
- Dr. Kristian Andersen, Scripps Research - Professor, Department of Immunology and Microbiology
- Patty Maysent, Chief Executive Officer, UC San Diego Health