On Christmas morning 16,592 Californians woke up to the news that they had tested positive for COVID-19. The state of California as a whole is running out of COVID testing supplies and waiting times to receive test results are becoming increasingly prolonged every day. Throughout this week, Southern California’s ICU capacity has dropped below 0%. Los Angeles hospitals have begun running out of Oxygen and other vital medical supplies. Ambulances are being turned away from emergency rooms and instead, patients are being treated in triage tents set up in parking lots. Doctors are contacting patients with underlying conditions, encouraging them to finalize their end-of-life arrangements in case they do not have access to a hospital in the event of an emergency. COVID related deaths are beginning to be reported at an hourly rate rather than at a daily or weekly rate.
Somewhere between December 17 and December 18, Daniel Ricciardo traveled from France to his home in Los Angeles, California. From there the social media circus began. Rather than self-quarantining for at least 14 days upon his arrival as per the California Travel Advisory, Daniel Ricciardo has been pictured in multiple locations and with multiple people. From December 18 to December 25, Daniel has posted pictures of himself on Instagram breaking at least three COVID state guidelines outlined in California’s most recent stay at home order, apart from just the California Travel Advisory.
These guidelines include:
- California’s mandatory mask mandate that states that everyone outside of their personal residence must wear a mask or face covering with limited exceptions.
- Guideline 2-A that states that gatherings of any size with members from differing households are prohibited, even if meetings are outside and socially distanced.
- Guideline 2-B that states that all Californians are to stay at home or at their place of residence unless completing activities that are considered critical infrastructure (grocery shopping, trips to the pharmacy, or trips to a doctor’s office).
December 20: Daniel is pictured at a Christmas tree farm with photographer Corey Wilson. Although Daniel appears to have a mask in his possession, he is not wearing it.
December 21: Daniel is pictured inside Jenson Button’s home with Jenson Button and his young son, Hendrix. Nobody pictured is wearing a mask or socially distanced.
December 23: Daniel is pictured eating takeout food with his friend Blake in an Instagram story posted by Corey Wilson.
December 25: Daniel is pictured in front of a Christmas tree with three other people including kickboxer Luke Rockhold, his friend Blake, and Corey Wilson. Nobody is wearing a mask and the picture is taken indoors.
To give Daniel the complete benefit of the doubt, you could argue that maybe Daniel, Corey, Luke, and, Blake are all isolating together at Daniel’s residence. Therefore, they would technically be apart of the same household. However, this does not excuse the fact that the whole group broke the recommended 14-day self-quarantine period. It also does not excuse the fact that Daniel met up with Jenson Button indoors, without masks or social distancing and while in the presence of a child and Jenson’s (then) pregnant partner.
Another argument in Daniel’s defense would be that maybe he was tested upon his arrival in LA and received a negative result. This is an excuse many social media influencers and celebrities have used to justify traveling and not following state guidelines. The act of getting tested for COVID while not actively showing symptoms or having been exposed is harmful to all permanent California residents. Rapid tests are in limited supply and supposed to be reserved for essential workers and first responders. All other tests have slow result turnaround times ranging anywhere from 3 to 10 days. Outside of the fact that Daniel never explicitly stated or confirmed if he was tested, all visitors to California are still expected to quarantine for 14 days, even with negative test results. The fact that Daniel was out and about in LA the day after or even the day of his arrival is reckless. His actions risk exposing not only his friends but also innocent members of the public, especially considering he is not pictured wearing a mask or face covering in any of the posts.
As many people say, you cannot claim to be a fan of Formula 1 without admitting that you’re a fan of Daniel. Personally, Daniel and his personality and smile are some of the main reasons I continue to watch F1. Even my mom, who has no interest in racing at all, loves Daniel. That’s why his recent actions have been so hurtful. I was born and raised in California and as much as I love Daniel, I love my home even more. I have watched too many of my friends and family be permanently harmed by COVID because of other people’s irresponsible actions. This year I lost my senior prom, my high school graduation, my last summer vacation at home, and my first semester of in-person university. I haven’t seen my friends or family since March and I’m scared I’ve lost out on valuable time with my 80-year-old grandparents. Yet, I’m lucky this is all I have lost.
As Californians, most of us do everything right and follow every rule, yet we have some of the highest COVID numbers in the entire world. These numbers continue to rise and although the rich and famous may become infected, they are rarely the ones who die from COVID complications. Instead, it is all of the people that make life in a pandemic possible; grocery store workers, fast food workers, warehouse and retail workers, health care providers, and first responders. Members of the lower class and working class are more likely to avoid going to the hospital to receive treatment until it is too late. Furthermore, hospitals in lower-income areas tend to be the ones hit the hardest by medication, equipment, and staff shortages.
For the wealthy, COVID may be seen as an inconvenience. For the poor, COVID is often seen as a death sentence. Realistically if Daniel contracts COVID he may or may not become sick, but he has all of the resources necessary to ensure he would have access to the best medicine and the best care. That luxury is not a guarantee for any of the staff working at the airport, the Christmas tree lot, or the fast food restaurant Daniel visited.
I recognize this article may sound harsh but I cannot claim to truly be a supporter of Daniel Ricciardo without calling him out for his harmful behavior. It goes without saying that COVID has been difficult for everyone. I can only imagine how lonely Daniel must have felt in all those different hotel rooms throughout the racing season. He has every right to a responsible vacation, but the vacation he is on right now is not responsible and has the potential to be deadly.
As of December 27, COVID has killed 24,220 Californians. Those 24,220 people were someone’s grandparent, someone’s parent, someone’s sibling, someone’s friend or neighbor, someone’s child. So Daniel Ricciardo, on behalf of the state of California, next time you think of leaving the house, think of those 24,220 people. Or at least don’t post the evidence on Instagram as a cruel reminder to everyone who has been following the rules that their actions have been worthless.
Comments