‘Step Up and Take Action’: Former GOP Senate Majority Leader Blasts Tennessee’s Governor Over COVID Crisis

A former Republican Senate Majority Leader is blasting his home state of Tennessee’s GOP Governor, Bill Lee, over the horrific coronavirus crisis and urging him to “step up and take action.”

Bill Frist, a medical doctor who earned his degree at Harvard, and was Majority Leader from 2003-2007, spoke out Thursday night, revealing that Tennessee is number one in the nation for new coronavirus cases.

“If we were an independent nation, we would be #2 for new Covid cases in the world. This week, TN reached highest level of hospitalizations from the virus yet,” Dr. Frist said.

“Our TN elected leadership must NOW step up & take action,” he added, not mentioning Governor Lee (photo) by name.

TN now is #1 in U.S. for daily new #Covid cases per population. If we were an independent nation, we would be #2 for new Covid cases in the world. This week, TN reached highest level of hospitalizations from the virus yet. Our TN elected leadership must NOW step up & take action. pic.twitter.com/drt7Y7FXvB

— Bill Frist, M.D. (@bfrist) September 2, 2021

“It’s time our leaders did more to prevent community spread and encourage Tennesseans to take the life-protecting step – for them and for others – of getting vaccinated,” Frist continued. “Without action, hundreds, even thousands, will needlessly die whose lives could have been saved.”

Gov. Lee’s management of the coronavirus has been a disaster.

Thursday evening The Tennessean newspaper reported “more than 154,000 children between ages 5 and 18 have been infected since the start of the pandemic,” and noted Gov. Lee, while allowing school boards to implement mask mandates allows parent to opt their children out of them.

In July, Lee’s Health Dept. Commissioner bowed to state Republican lawmakers furious that juveniles were being told they have a legal right to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and fired the Department’s vaccination chief and then banned all outreach on vaccines – all vaccines, not just COVID-19, to juveniles.

At least one study shows unless the country, regardless of vaccination status, immediately dons masks, another 100,000 Americans will die from COVID by December 1.

And Frist urged Tennesseans get vaccinated:

Without question, #vaccines are the best and safest tool we have to beat this virus. And the science is clear: Unvaccinated people are about 29 times more likely to be hospitalized with #Covid19 than those who are fully vaccinated.

— Bill Frist, M.D. (@bfrist) September 2, 2021

Unvaccinated people are nearly five times more likely to be infected with Covid than fully vaccinated people. Only 42% of Tennesseans are fully vaccinated, putting our population at high risk.

— Bill Frist, M.D. (@bfrist) September 2, 2021

Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correctly note Senator Frist was Majority Leader, not House Speaker.