'Reopen NC' organizer tested positive for COVID-19 — calls quarantine a violation of civil rights

From the “We Tried To Tell You” files comes a cautionary tale from North Carolina. On April 21, North Carolina’s MAGA contingent took to the streets to demand businesses reopen and get back to business as usual despite the fact that COVID-19 cases are still surging, there are still no reliable antibody tests, no vaccine, and most importantly, the body count is still climbing. With the help of a shady network of right-wing organizations promoted by Fox News, these “reopen” events took off nationwide.

Now one of the “Reopen NC” organizers says she tested positive for the novel coronavirus. According to ABC 11, Aubrey Whitlock shared the news on the “Reopen NC” Facebook page, which can only be viewed by members. Whitlock said her 14-day quarantine period ended on Sunday and she was asymptomatic, but when contacted by ABC 11’s Jonah Kaplan about whether Whitlock had attended rallies the last two Tuesdays, Whitlock simply said, “No comment.” If she did attend, she risked the lives of hundreds of her fellow neighbors. Whitlock did confirm that she planned to attend a rally this week.

The News & Observer reports Whitlock was upset she was forced to quarantine after her positive diagnosis. Whitlock had some nerve to compare her predicament to those with other disabilities.

“I have been told not to participate in public or private accommodations as requested by the government, and therefore denied my 1st amendment right of freedom of religion,” Whitlock wrote. “If I were an essential employee, I would be denied access to my job by my employer and the government, though compensated, those with other communicable diseases are afforded the right to work. It has been insinuated by others that if I go out, I could be arrested for denying a quarantine order. However, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination by employers, places of public accommodation, and state and local government entities. Where do we draw the line?”

Where do we draw the line? We draw the line at people like Asymptomatic Aubrey running around infecting an untold number of her neighbors because of her own selfishness. The worst part is, each of these infections and all these nonsense rallies only spread the disease wider and further delay openings.