Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blamed President Donald Trump for mass deaths in nursing homes after forcing long-term care facilities to take in coronavirus-positive patients.
The governor of New York told reporters to “ask President Trump” about the nursing home deaths Wednesday, the New York Post reported, arguing that his state was merely following the federal government’s lead in sending coronavirus-positive patients to nursing homes.
“Anyone who wants to ask, ‘Why did the state do that with COVID patients in nursing homes?’ It’s because the state followed President Trump’s CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidance,” Cuomo told reporters when asked whether he regretted the directive that appears to have resulted in the deaths of thousands of nursing home residents.
He continued: “They should ask President Trump. I think that will stop the conversation.” (RELATED: Cuomo Says Nursing Homes Are A ‘Top Priority’ After Forcing Them To Accept Coronavirus Patients)
Republican New York Rep. Elise Stefanik criticized Cuomo for blaming Trump.
“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,” she said in a Thursday tweet.
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,” Stefanik added. “This includes the ability to place residents in a designated COVID-19 care unit that is equipped with the resources and PPE to safely prevent the spread of infections.”
If nursing homes are unable to follow the CDC’s guidance, they must wait until patients cannot transmit the virus before they can accept these patients, according to the CDC, she said.
“Governor Cuomo’s MANDATE requires acceptance regardless of a nursing homes capacity to safely accept COVID-19 positive cases,” she added.
Cuomo’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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