While Awaiting COVID-19 Results, Sen. Holmberg Attended Public Lunch

BISMARCK, ND — Sen. Ray Holmberg, who appears to have contracted COVID-19 during last week’s organizational legislative session, attended a public luncheon this week while awaiting his COVID-19 test results, according to a report in the Daily Beast. He received a positive result later that day. There was an option to participate in the lunch remotely.

Holmberg told the Daily Beast: “In hindsight, should I have gone? Probably not.” 

During the organizational session, several Republican members of the legislature fought against rules requiring a mask to protect elected officials, public workers, and the public from COVID-19. Some flouted the rule throughout the week.

The Democratic-NPL Party Chairwoman Kylie Oversen said: 

“So much for personal responsibility when Sen. Holmberg couldn’t even miss lunch to protect everyone else attending the event and the people who served and cooked their meals. It shouldn’t take hindsight to follow common sense and listen to what public health officials have been saying for months. The NDGOP has refused to take this deadly virus seriously from the beginning, and it’s costing lives and livelihoods. We sincerely hope he fully recovers and that no one he put at risk contracts COVID-19.” 

Rep. Karla Rose Hanson, District 44, said:

“I worry about the health of my colleagues – especially those with underlying conditions. The news of several positive cases resulting from last week’s meeting should bring home the importance of consistently wearing masks and staying home when sick.”
 

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