San Jose mayor apologizes for Thanksgiving family dinner, commits to ‘do better’
Sam Liccardo had said cases were spiking because people were letting their "guard down"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mayor Sam Liccardo, of San Jose, Calif., apologized Tuesday for spending Thanksgiving with his family in apparent violation of state coronavirus rules and said he will “commit do better.”
NBC Bay Area first broke the news of Liccardo’s Thanksgiving Day visit to his parent’s home in Saratoga – about 15 miles southwest of San Jose.
Liccardo’s press team told the station that the mayor was staying home for Thanksgiving but later said a spokesperson had “misspoke” and that the mayor spent the holiday with his parents.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}San Jose, Calif., Mayor Sam Liccardo
Liccardo said that that information was “inaccurate, and asked his press team to correct the record, “by clarifying that I was at my parent’s home.”
In a separate statement, Liccardo said that eight of his family members representing five households were in attendance, but sat around three distanced tables on the back patio and wore masks when not eating. He added that many other family members who would have joined them for Thanksgiving in the past, “stayed home out of caution.”
San Jose fell under California's "Purple Tier" ahead of Thanksgiving, which meansthe county has more than seven cases per 100,000 people – or a more than 8% positivity rate – and residents and business owners are subject to the state's strictest lockdown measures.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}NEW LA CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN MAKES PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR'S HOME TARGET OF PROTESTERS
In a Nov. 25 tweet, Liccardo said cases were spiking because people were letting their "guard down" and not wearing masks with "family and friends."
Liccardo said apologized for his decision to gather “contrary to state rules, by attending this Thanksgiving meal with my family.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I understand my obligation as a public official to provide exemplary compliance with the public health orders, and certainly not to ignore them. I commit to do better.”
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Liccardo is the latest among many public officials who have come under fire for appearing to break COVID-19-related restrictions. Most notably, California Gov. Gavin Newsom provoked accusations of hypocrisy earlier this month for attending a birthday party at an upscale French restaurant in apparent defiance of his own rules.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.