Why this American nursing assistant counter-protested the lockdown protests

Transcript

Yetta Timothy can't stop worrying about her daughter.

Timothy is a nursing assistant in Harrisburg, Penn., and her daughter, who is 11 weeks pregnant, recently followed in her footsteps.

Now both mother and daughter are working in a nursing home where there has been an outbreak of COVID-19. 

So when Timothy saw people out in the streets demanding the state end its pandemic restrictions, she decided to put on a mask and head down there, wielding a sign that read: "My life is on the line. Go home!"

Protests have spring up in more than a dozen states calling for lockdowns to end. But Timothy says that would be a foolish move in Pennsylvania, which according to state health authorities, had 37,053 confirmed and probable cases of the virus, and 1,421 COVID-19 deaths as of Wednesday.

Here is part of Timothy's conversation with As It Happens host Carol Off.

First of all, what compelled you to go out and respond to these anti-lockdown protesters? 

I just wanted them to see and hear the other side of really what's going on out there.

I mean, a lot of them, they're not front-line workers, so they don't know and they don't see what we see on a daily basis.

It's just way too soon for us to open up the state of PA right now, where we're still struggling. I mean, our numbers are still going up daily. I just don't understand why people don't understand and see that it's just not time.

Can you describe the scene? When the protests took place and when you went out, what did you see? What were people doing? What were they saying? 

Oh, man. I mean, it was so crowded down there. It was so many people standing side by side. No social distancing whatsoever. Most of them with no masks on. Cars beeping. 

A lot of them yelling obscenities at us about our signs that we had up.

It was just unreal, the sight, how many people were standing so close, like literally arm-in-arm. 

I broke down at one point because they don't understand how dangerous this really is. 

What did they say? How did they respond to you? 

Some that were keeping quiet to themselves, that were walking past, were literally whispering in our ears, you know, "Thank you. Thank you for what you're doing."

But it was kind of like they were afraid to say it out loud or, like, to be there with us and for us. So they would just literally walk past and whisper.

Others, they were just yelling. Yelling obscenities. You know, "It's our lives, our bodies. You got a job. You go to work every day. Why can't we?" Things of that nature.

What is the rush to get back or to have a surge more of these COVID-19 cases become positive? Like, why? Why would we want to do that? I just don't understand it. Why?- Yetta Timothy, nursing assistant 

They clearly don't believe, or they say they don't believe, that there's any need for these stay-at-home orders. What's the situation right now in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania? What could you tell them about if they would listen to what you're dealing with?

I've been out of work since the 26th of February (Feb. 26?) because I had surgery. I literally went back the day that we had the protest. I picked up a double shift.

This is what is really upsetting to me. My daughter also works at the place that I've been at for 21 years.... She literally just got [her licence] maybe a couple of months ago, and then all of this ruckus happened.

She's there. She's 11 weeks pregnant. I'm losing my mind. I'm going crazy because I'm so worried about her. And she calls me yesterday and says someone on the floor that she's working on now has just been tested for COVID-19. I didn't know what to do. Like, I'm shaking and worrying and crying. 

They just recently gave them some PPE. And of course, they have to reuse them. The little, you know, body outfits that they have on? Hers has a rip in it. They refused to give her another one. It literally has to be soiled for them to give you another one. You get one face mask. You have to reuse that. 

I can't even explain the emotions that I'm going through right now. 

On the weekend, [U.S. President Donald Trump] described those protesters that you were confronting …  as "great people." He said, "These people love our country and they want to get back to work." What would you say to the president if you could speak to him?

How are they loving the country? If they're loving the country, they'll do what we're trying to tell them to do. You know, stay home. It's not forever. It's not like we're asking for forever. 

And yes, it's hurtful to some people, you know, money-wise and livelihood wise. But having your life is more important. Having the people around you live is much more important. I would think so. 

So I'm not agreeing with Trump right now. I'm not agreeing with him at all. What is the rush to get back or to have a surge [as] more of these COVID-19 cases become positive? Like, why? Why would we want to do that? I just don't understand it. Why?

It seems, though, that the polling that they're doing in the United States, most people agree with you that they want these measures to stay in place. They don't agree with the president. Does that give you any comfort? 

It does. It gives me a lot of comfort. And I'm glad to see that a lot of people are, you know, standing with me and with others. They're smart. 

I don't want to say that the other people who are against it are not smart. I understand where they're coming from. But right now, at this point in time, it's not safe. It is not safe to re-open PA wholeheartedly at this time. 

If they want to open up little small businesses, I can understand that part. Slowly open the economy back up. But do not open up the entire state of PA. That is a disaster.

Written by Sheena Goodyear. Interview produced by Katie Geleff. Q&A has been edited for length and clarity.