Kansas GOP Official Credits State’s Low Number of Coronavirus Cases to Lack of ‘Chinese People’

The Republican chairman of the Riley County Commissioners in Kansas insists his state has fared better during the 🦠Coronavirus Outbreak due to its lack of “Chinese people.”

The Kansas City Star is reporting that Marvin Rodriguez insisted the state’s number of positive coronavirus cases would likely be higher if they had more Chinese people like Italy and other countries greatly affected by the global pandemic.

Rodriguez’s comments were made during a meeting between Manhattan, Kansas, Mayor Usha Reddi and commissioners to discuss whether or not to proceed with a declaration of emergency. Although the group ultimately opted to do so, Reddi noted a remark made by Rodriguez.

“I’m paraphrasing, but he said we don’t have a problem here because Italy has a lot of Chinese people, and we don’t have that problem here.”

Reddi also called Rodriguez out via Twitter for apparently spreading false information about the number of coronavirus cases in Kansas.

Shortly after the comments were relayed, Rodriguez was contacted by the Star’s editorial board. He offered an explanation for his remarks.

“I didn’t necessarily say it like that,” Rodriguez said, adding, “Italy has a problem with its health department, first. It’s health for everybody. I have a friend in the Navy, and he said in that area” “there’s a garment industry and a lot of Chinese. If we were like Italy, we’d have it already.”

The publication went on to cite the dangers of Rodriguez’s words. To which, he replied, “Well, they say it came out of China,” adding, “and I’m not putting it past the Chinese government in communist China.”