Fans Worry That Jana Duggar of ‘Counting On’ Isn’t Staying Safe as She Helps With Tornado Relief in Arkansas
The Duggars love to help in a crisis. Members of the Counting On family stepped up to assist after Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas in September 2019 and Nashville was devastated by tornadoes in early March 2020. (Though not everyone is convinced the Duggars were really helping.)
Now, they’re on the ground again after another disaster — and this time they’re a lot closer to home. Jana Duggar and other members of her family are helping with relief efforts after a tornado hit Jonesboro, Ark., on March 28. But some fear that they’re not taking proper precautions to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus.
Jana Duggar is helping people who’ve lost their homes in Jonesboro
In an April 1 Instagram post, Jana Duggar shared that she had traveled more than 250 miles from her home in Tontitown, Ark. to Jonesboro to help people whose homes were destroyed in the storm. Her brother Jed was also assisting with relief efforts, according to his Instagram.
“Arkansas is an immensely special place to me. It is HOME! So when a tornado hit Jonesboro, Arkansas, last weekend I knew I wanted to volunteer to help those who had lost their homes,” Jana wrote.
“I was proud to see so many people there to offer a helping hand!” she added. “My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Jonesboro!”
A photo shows the 30-year-old wearing a dust mask and working outside to clean up debris.
Some praised Jana’s commitment to helping
After Jana shared her update on social media, some people praised her for coming to the aid of those in need.
“You have such a good heart,” one wrote. Another thanked her for sharing a positive story during a time when much of the news is very negative. Several people said they were from Jonesboro and were grateful for the assistant of volunteers like Jana.
“God bless you and all the volunteers helping!” commented one person.
Others worried that Jana was taking risks with her safety
Not everyone was impressed with Jana’s act of volunteerism. One commenter reminded Jana that she should be wearing eye protection and an N95 mask rather than just a surgical mask. However, N95 masks are hard to come by these days, and some hospitals are running low on supplies and requiring medical personnel to reuse their personal protective equipment.
Others pointed out that based on the photo she shared, she appeared to be ignoring social distancing guidelines to stay at least 6 feet away from other people. They warned she could be putting both herself and the larger community at risk. (Unlike many states, Arkansas has not yet ordered residents to stay at home, though schools and some businesses are closed.)
“You’re all way too close together. The last thing this community is going to need is to be hit with a surge of COVID cases,” wrote one critic.
“You need to take this pandemic seriously,” another commented. “You are not only putting yourself at risk. You are putting your loved ones and many more people at risk for COVID-19.”
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