Denver Mayor Michael Hancock urged others to “avoid travel” right before boarding a flight to visit his daughter in Mississippi, local media reported Wednesday.
“Pass the potatoes, not COVID,” Mr. Hancock‘s account tweeted Wednesday morning. “Stay home as much as you can, especially if you’re sick; Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners; Avoid travel, if you can; Order your holiday meal from a local eatery; Shop online with a small business for #BlackFriday.”
About 30 minutes after the tweet was posted, Mr. Hancock boarded a flight to visit his daughter in Mississippi, KUSA-TV reported. His spokeswoman confirmed the trip to the outlet and said the mayor would also be meeting his wife there.
“As he has shared, the mayor is not hosting his traditional large family dinner this year, but instead traveling alone to join his wife and daughter where the three of them will celebrate Thanksgiving at her residence instead of having them travel back to Denver,” the mayor’s spokesperson said in a statement. “Upon return, he will follow all necessary health and safety guidance and quarantine.”
Mr. Hancock, a Democrat, had sent a memo to city staff just last week urging them to stay home for the holidays.
“I’m urging you to refrain from travel this Thanksgiving holiday,” he wrote Nov. 18, KUSA-TV reported. “For my family that means cancelling our traditional gathering of our extended family.”
The mayor said in the email that anyone who travels out of state should quarantine for 14 days upon their return, the station reported.
