A mayor in Kentucky is urging his constituents to take the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. seriously, describing the virus that has killed four people in the state as of Tuesday as a “big f—ing deal.”
In a post to a local Facebook group on Monday, Walton Mayor Gabe Brown contrasted his rhetoric to that of Gov. Andy Beshear (D-Ky.), who has received high marks from his constituents for his measured delivery of daily press conferences about the pandemic.
“Listen up dip—ts and sensible people. I might not have the best bedside manor [sic]. I might not put you at ease like the Governor does, but I don’t care. You need to realize that this is a serious ordeal. In fact, it’s a big f**cking deal. Stay at home,” Brown wrote.
“I pray every night that the State, County and region that I love with all of my heart will stop doing nonsensical things. Treat this seriously. If you don’t, then screw you (f#ck you is what I want to say, but I can’t),” he added.
Brown’s post came after Beshear announced the first case of the virus in Boone County on Monday, one of 124 total confirmed cases in the state.
“This will pass. Take it seriously. It is here. Act like you have the virus and don’t spread it to other people. I have no doubt that it hasn’t already been here, but testing had been limited. More cases are coming,” Brown continued. “If you ignore this problem, the worst thing that could happen is that your mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, aunts, uncles could die.”
The Facebook post had been shared more than 300 times as of Tuesday afternoon. Brown was appointed to his position in 2018 and elected with no opposition that November.