AOC's Positive COVID Test Sparks Mixed Reactions Among Astorians

ASTORIA, QUEENS — An announcement this weekend that U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tested positive for COVID-19 prompted a deluge of criticism against the Congresswoman, but constituents closer to home are reacting with mixed opinions.

News of Ocasio-Cortez's positive test result comes shortly after the vaccinated-and-boosted Congresswoman took a trip to Florida, during which she was photographed hanging out maskless at an outdoor restaurant and drag bar.

Mostly-conservative tabloids jumped on her trip, and subsequent diagnosis, as a chance to criticize her support for mask and vaccine mandates; the CDC does not generally recommend wearing a mask outside, and New York's mask mandate doesn't apply to outdoor places.

Constituents in Astoria, however, had a more mixed reaction.

In one Astoria neighborhood thread, some locals said Ocasio-Cortez's trip to Florida was not "rational," while others generally criticized what they said is an inability to say "negative things about her."

Others, however, called the framing of her trip to Florida and positive COVID test as "pure political spin," noting that her public statement does not clarify when or how she tested positive for the coronavirus.

One neighbor, who is expressly "not at all a fan" of the Congresswoman, said they didn't see the point in criticizing her for her trip to Florida.

"I'm also not going to fault a triple-vaxxed person for enjoying the normalcy of life," they wrote.

Ocasio-Cortez's office said the Congresswoman is experiencing symptoms and recovering at home.

Related Article: Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Tests Positive For COVID-19, Her Office Says