New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at his briefing last night that reporters should “ask President Trump” about all of the people who died from COVID-19 at nursing homes and assisted living facilities in his state:
Gov. Cuomo: 'Ask President Trump' about nursing home deaths https://t.co/cXupUgk5eV pic.twitter.com/BliaMtCBxv
— New York Post (@nypost) May 20, 2020
Um, OK? Here’s Seema Verman, Administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services answering Gov. Cuomo:
Here’s the answer…On March 13, CMS released guidance related to transfer of patients who had been treated for COVID-19 from a hospital to a nursing home. https://t.co/0xrMVth4wy https://t.co/ZgW7nocofW
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) May 21, 2020
There was a directive, governor:
It stated that a nursing home can accept a resident diagnosed with COVID-19, as long as the facility can follow CDC guidance for Transmission-Based Precautions. https://t.co/Y8nSvbY1JL
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) May 21, 2020
If a nursing home cannot follow CDC’s guidance & provide the necessary care, the transfer must wait until the patient is no longer subject to COVID-19 precautions, or the resident can be transferred to another facility that can provide the care.
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) May 21, 2020
In the guidance, CMS urged nursing homes to dedicate a specific wing to patients moving to, or arriving from, a hospital, where they could remain for 14 days with no symptoms.
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) May 21, 2020
.@realDonaldTrump’s Administration commends the states that overcame their hospital capacity issues by acting on CMS’s recommendation to create dedicated locations according to COVID-19 status.
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) May 21, 2020
And if you don’t want to use Florida as an example, how about California?
For example, @CAgovernor temporarily transferred COVID-19-negative nursing home residents aboard the U.S.S. Mercy while @GovRonDeSantis is requiring negative test confirmation prior to transfer from hospitals to nursing homes.
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) May 21, 2020
When a patient leaves a hospital it’s critical they are discharged to a place where their healthcare needs can be met without risking spread of the virus to others.
— Administrator Seema Verma (@SeemaCMS) May 21, 2020
And if that’s not enough for Gov. Cuomo, here’s Rep. Elise Stefanik from New York’s 21st congressional district:
Governor Cuomo continues to point fingers at the federal government.
But here are the FACTS regarding CDC guidance:
The Governor’s decisions to MANDATE that nursing homes accept COVID-19 patients completely disregards the case-by-case approach recommended by CDC.
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 21, 2020
CDC guidance was clear that decisions about discharging COVID-19 patients should be based on the ability of the accepting facility to meet the recommended infection control practices. This includes the ability to place residents in a designated COVID-19 care unit that is equipped
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 21, 2020
with the resources and PPE to safely prevent the spread of infections. Additionally, CDC guidance states that if nursing homes are unable to follow CDC guidance for COVID-19 patients under Transmission-Based Precautions, they must wait until these patients are no longer
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 21, 2020
a transmission risk before accepting them. Governor Cuomo’s MANDATE requires acceptance regardless of a nursing homes capacity to safely accept COVID-19 positive cases.
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) May 21, 2020
Sorry, governor. This isn’t going away:
.@NYGovCuomo has only himself to blame. ? https://t.co/bv9OlQrfq0
— Michael R. Caputo (@SpoxHHS) May 21, 2020
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