Denver Mayor Prohibits Residents From Traveling Then Flies For Thanksgiving Dinner
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock prohibited residents from traveling during the Thanksgiving Holiday supposedly to avoid spreading the coronavirus. But it was revealed that he is the first one to violate his own order since he flew to Mississippi to spend the holiday with his family.
Hancock’s own office has confirmed that he was going to be gone from Wednesday to Friday. His spokeswoman also confirmed that he traveled to Mississippi to spend time with his daughter and that his wife has gone ahead of him. To get there, he had to stop over at Houston. Several minutes before his flight, Hancock’s official Twitter account sent out a tweet telling people to avoid travel.
Pass the potatoes, not COVID.
— Michael B. Hancock 😷 (@MayorHancock) November 25, 2020
🏘️Stay home as much as you can, especially if you're sick.
💻Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners.
❌Avoid travel, if you can.
🍲Order your holiday meal from a local eatery.
🎁Shop online with a small business for #BlackFriday. pic.twitter.com/acQpWs2Ism
Still, his staff tried to defend the decision to fly by saying that the mayor tried avoiding a large family dinner. They also said that he would be following all precautions when he gets back to Denver.
“As he has shared, the Mayor is not hosting his traditional large family dinner this year, but instead traveling alone to join his wife and daughter where the three of them will celebrate Thanksgiving at her residence instead of having them travel back to Denver,” the statement from his staff reads. “Upon return, he will follow all necessary health and safety guidance and quarantine.”
An email that was sent out by Hancock’s office also told people that they should avoid traveling if they can. “[A]s the holidays approach, we all long to be with our families with [sic] person, but with the continued rise in cases, I’m urging you to refrain from travel this Thanksgiving holiday. For my family, that means canceling our traditional gathering of our extended family.”
Hancock is just the latest Democrat leader to have violated his own coronavirus restriction order.