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. @ScottAdamsSays posed an interesting question this morning: does it make sense to hold @NYGovCuomo accountable for the nursing home disaster? Or was he just following the advice of experts? (Thread)
I'm sure the lawsuits will bring out what Cuomo knew or when. But when he was asked on April 20 about his March 25 directive forcing nursing homes to take coronavirus patients, he said he didn't know about it. https://nypost.com/2020/04/20/cuomo-didnt-know-coronavirus-patients-are-being-sent-back-to-nursing-homes/
As the media caught up to @marklevinshow (who had been on the story since March 26) and @nypost, Cuomo gave terrible answers. First he ordered an investigation *of the nursing homes*, then he said they were motivated by greed, then he pretended the USS Comfort wasn't available.
Finally, on May 10, more than six weeks after the directive, Cuomo reversed his order. https://www.breitbart.com/health/2020/05/11/andrew-cuomo-backs-down-hospitals-can-no-longer-send-coronavirus-patients-to-nursing-homes-in-new-york/
Now, to the question of experts.
Now, to the question of experts.
It does seem, given Cuomo's ignorance at the outset (take him at his word), that he had delegated responsibility for that policy to experts. At the time, the experts were focused on one problem: keeping ICU beds open and hospitals safe. Nursing homes were viewed as a safety valve
So in NY, NJ, CA, and elsewhere, experts did the same thing: they issued directives requiring nursing homes to take coronavirus patients.
BUT -- in some states, experts took a different approach. In MA and CT, for example, officials designated some nursing homes as COVID-only.
BUT -- in some states, experts took a different approach. In MA and CT, for example, officials designated some nursing homes as COVID-only.
The most interesting example is California. @CAgovernor @GavinNewsom issued a directive like Cuomo's But unlike Cuomo, he backed off quickly. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/04/20/832034662/discharging-covid-19-patients-to-nursing-homes-called-a-recipe-for-disaster
The key difference may have been local media coverage. The @latimes was on top of the issue fairly early.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-01/california-orders-skilled-nursing-facilities-to-accept-coronavirus-patients
That may have pushed changes in California.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-04-01/california-orders-skilled-nursing-facilities-to-accept-coronavirus-patients
That may have pushed changes in California.
Meanwhile, in New York, the media were focused on setting up Cuomo as a foil to Trump (and possible substitute for @JoeBiden). He faced almost no scrutiny. Newsom, making nice with Trump, enjoyed less media protection, perhaps. So the mainstream/national media may share blame.
TL;DR: @NYGovCuomo's experts were wrong on nursing homes in ways other experts avoided; that might not be his fault but he took far too long to correct the problem. California fixed it more quickly, probably because the media did a somewhat better job of scrutinizing @GavinNewsom
I should have noted Florida as well. @RonDeSantisFL protected the nursing homes from the start.
