World News – UK – Denver Mayor apologizes for Thanksgiving trip and ignores his own warnings

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Denver Mayor Michael Hancock apologized to critics who hypocritically pointed to his Wednesday travel plans to visit his family in Mississippi after advising Coloradans to hold « virtual meetings » in the face of the escalating coronavirus pandemic.

Hancock came under fire after reports surfaced that he boarded a flight to Houston on Wednesday morning before heading to Mississippi to visit his wife and daughter.

« I can see my decision disappointed many who believe it would have been better to spend Thanksgiving alone, » Hancock said in a statement Wednesday night. “As an officer whose conduct is rightly scrutinized for the message it sends to others, I apologize to the Denver residents who see my decision as inconsistent with the guidance to stay home for all but essential travel. ”

« I have made my choice as a husband and a father, and for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive choices that are made in my heart rather than my head, » he added.

Colorado’s Gov. . Jared Polis said he was unaware of Hancock’s travel plans after being asked by reporters on Wednesday, although Polis said he decided to cancel his vacation plans to « lead by example as governor » despite his parents being for nine months haven’t seen anymore.

Hancock raised his eyebrows and posted a public notice on Twitter. He warned people to stay home over Thanksgiving amid cases of coronavirus have emerged in Denver.

Minutes before his flight, he posted a tweet warning people to « hand over the potatoes, not COVID » and advising them to « hold virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners » and « avoid travel if you do. » can. ”

« I fully acknowledge that I urged everyone to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel, » said Hancock, before explaining that both his wife and daughter had moved to Mississippi. “As vacation drew near, I decided that it would be safer for me to travel to see you than to have two family members travel back to Denver. ”

A mayor spokesman told NBC’s local news agency that the mayor would be quarantined for 14 days upon his return.

In an email received from the point of sale, Hancock advised employees to avoid travel if possible, telling them that they must self-isolate for two weeks if traveling outside of state lines.

« [A] is the holiday approach, we all long to be with our families [personally], but with the continued increase in cases, I urge you not to travel this Thanksgiving Day, » Hancock wrote earlier this month. “For my family, this means canceling our traditional extended family gathering. ”

The mayor has also reportedly told his staff that if they were unable to quarantine and continue their work, they would have to use their own paid line to self-isolate.

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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. © 2020 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Offers are displayed in real time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data from Factset. Supported and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal statement. Mutual fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Michael B. . Hancock, Denver, Thanksgiving, Colorado