New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that nursing homes that could not comply with a March 25 directive requiring them to accept coronavirus patients should have obeyed “regulations” and transferred patients if they could not care for them.
The directive, issued March 25, stated (original emphasis): “No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the NH [nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19. NHs are prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission.”
On Thursday, Cuomo said he would investigate nursing homes that failed to follow laws and regulations on “separation and isolation policies, staffing policies and inadequate personal protective equipment.”
But nursing homes say that they could not possibly cope on short notice with the state’s sudden demand to care for patients infected with a highly contagious disease.
A reporter asked Cuomo at his press briefing Saturday whether the state department of health should have done more, leading up to the pandemic, to prepare nursing homes and ensure that they had adequate equipment and staff.
Cuomo responded to the question by saying that “no one is to blame,” but added:
The regulations still apply, even though you’re in the middle of a global pandemic. The regulations still apply. And for the nursing homes, one of the central regulations is, if you cannot provide appropriate care for that patient, you must transfer that patient, period. That’s the — that’s the rule. And if you can’t find the place to transfer the patient, then the department of health will find a place to transfer the patient. Another nursing home. another facility.
Critics, however, say that nursing homes were under pressure to accept the patients.
Journalists did not ask Cuomo on Saturday about whether he accepted that the directive may have placed residents at risk, or if he would withdraw the directive.
Wait… does this directive force nursing homes (usually stocked with those we have found to be most vulnerable to the virus) to accept people that are already infected into the very places being shut down and closed off to prevent the virus from spreading like wildfire through the most vulnerable among us?
“No one is to blame.” And the curious media just accepts it.
@Deplorable Me: He was kind enough to supply them with body bags.https://nypost.com/2020/04/23/coronavirus-patients-admitted-to-queens-nursing-home-with-body-bags/
This nursing home went on to see 30 people die of the coronavirus in the following weeks. And every week they get five more body bags.
Where are those that are “cured” sent? https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-three-dead-quarantine-hotel-manhattan-20200420-pnubgh65k5bz7m7mtvsxx7lsje-story.html
Yes they still have yet to clean the subway system.
@kitt: @kitt:
Read this:
Cuomo denies knowing about the nursing home disaster (note the date);
https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/cuomo-didnt-know-coronavirus-patients-are-being-sent-back-to-nursing-homes/
@retire05: Yup he has shown to be the biggest failure NY ever elected. He had to be bailed by Trump every step of the way.