Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean is calling for answers after reports revealed disturbing information about the larger number of coronavirus deaths in New York nursing homes.
Dean’s personal experience, losing both her mother-in-law and father-in-law to COVID-19 in New York nursing homes, has led her to question regulations set by Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo that appear to have contributed to the spike of cases and deaths among a population that everyone had already been warned was more vulnerable than most. (RELATED: Gov. Cuomo Reverses, Says Hospitals Can’t Send COVID-Positive Patients To Nursing Homes)
This is awful. For all of Cuomo’s talk re: how every life counts… what about all of the elderly and most vulnerable who died in NY nursing homes thx to his orders? JD lost both her mother-in-law & father-in-law to COVID in NY nursing homes. https://t.co/q3OsYfknTz
— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) May 16, 2020
Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik has called for an investigation into the issue, focusing on the state’s March 25 adoption of a policy that forced nursing homes to accept patients even if they had a positive or suspected coronavirus diagnosis.
“No resident shall be denied readmission or admission to the [nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19,” the policy read. It was not rescinded until six weeks later.
March 25th: YOU @NYGovCuomo made an executive order requiring nursing homes accept coronavirus patients. That accelerated outbreaks like wildfire and killed our loved ones. We still don’t know the exact number of cases. YOU have a catastrophe on your hands. https://t.co/YoRqXWfD8U
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) May 11, 2020
PS glad you were able to zoom your mom on Mother’s Day. My husband couldn’t. He lost his mom and dad to COVID in assisted living and nursing homes. https://t.co/vMKByMqfbB
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) May 11, 2020
New York has reported over 5,400 COVID-related deaths across hundreds of nursing homes and assisted living facilities — and the state is facing additional scrutiny, according to the Daily Caller News Foundation, as even those numbers appear to have been underreported.
Dean has expressed her frustrations on Twitter as more and more information has come to light. “My husband is still grieving about the loss of his parents to this virus. Both were in nursing/assisted living homes. I’m trying to respect his wishes to not scream every day about this. But, make no mistake we want answers and there’s no question their deaths were avoidable,” she said.
My husband is still grieving about the loss of his parents to this virus. Both were in nursing/assisted living homes. I’m trying to respect his wishes to not scream every day about this. But, make no mistake we want answers and there’s no question their deaths were avoidable.
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) May 16, 2020
There are no words to explain how furious I am. Grateful to the journalists who keep looking into this real life nightmare so many families including mine are living through. https://t.co/E64c6fjVsW
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) May 16, 2020
This is a very good thread that I hope everyone will read. @RossBarkan also has put together a timeline on @NYGovCuomo’s leadership and its failure to families of those who died of #COVID in nursing homes. https://t.co/FQQmfYSm7N
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) May 11, 2020
My kids lost BOTH grandparents to #COVID19. Their lives are just as important as those we’ve lost who are much younger. My FIL was also a veteran who served with the USAF and was a New York City firefighter for 23 years. Their lives matter. Every life matters.
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) April 30, 2020
Sean’s parents died of Covid 19. They are not just statistics on charts. They are human beings that lived important lives had families, and were loved. If you have parents or grandparents still alive, give them a call this weekend in honor of Mickey and Dee. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/9XnAtFiQdo
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) April 19, 2020
While Dean declined to comment further on the situation, she did tell the Daily Caller that she wants an official investigation into Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic, particularly as it regards to nursing homes.