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The Pandemic Blindspot; Why is There so Little Coverage of Nursing Home Fiascos?
Townhall.com ^ | May 21, 2020 | Brad Slager

Posted on 05/21/2020 10:28:26 AM PDT by Kaslin

The promises and predictions in the media have been plentiful. The failing of those pandemic predictions has nearly been as widespread. As consistently wrong as these seers of doom in the press have been there is one other failing they have been adept at delivering; holding local officials accountable. Headlines have blared about governors making decisions which could lead to disaster, but when it comes to those who have instituted provably bad policy there has been far less enthusiasm.

For a time New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) had been something of a media darling. For a time he was hailed for his leadership and his ability to either work with President Trump, or call out the administration for supposed problematic responses. For a time he was hinted at as a possible presidential ticket name. That time has ended. In recent weeks, Gov. Cuomo’s swelling presence has ebbed as problems with the response in his state have been revealed, with one in particular being a jarring reality.

Gov. Cuomo’s largest issue has been the policy of sending patients who were positive for the coronavirus into nursing homes, alongside the most vulnerable segment of our population. As we are gradually starting to realize, this completely wrong-headed decision was not isolated to Gov. Cuomo’s realm. A number of other governors have also had this policy instituted in their states, yet the national press has not been dutiful in reporting these narrative-busting examples.

Another media darling has been Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D). The press has been swooning over her for months, and she has tried to parlay that into a selection as Joe Biden’s running mate. She has applied less energy to her own state’s needs. It was revealed, while she accused President Trump of denying aid, that her office had failed to fill out basic paperwork for FEMA assistance. Now, Gov. Whitmer has been contending with the reality that, like Gov. Cuomo, she is looked at as responsible for placing infected elderly patients into nursing homes. And like Gov. Cuomo, the media enthusiasm behind her is waning.

The practice was in establishing what were called "hubs" throughout Michigan, nearly two dozen nursing homes which were designated to take in coronavirus-positive individuals. These facilities were paid $5,000 for every patient taken in, on top of a daily stipend for each. One local news outlet found that barely half of these locations had even been inspected since the policy was instituted. The state legislature, already embattled with the governess, has become incensed over this policy.

We are seeing that Michigan is hardly an outlier. One stark reality surrounding the coronavirus is that it is especially pernicious towards the elderly. The bulk of the cases seen are in the 60 years and older range, and the deaths are also remarkably high in that demographic. This has been a known reality about this virus from early in the outbreak, so why would any policy be put

in place where the infected are inserted into a closed environment alongside the most vulnerable? And why was this decision so widespread?

In California they too had policies in place requiring nursing homes to take in residents who tested positive. It has been estimated that 40% of the deaths in that state derived from nursing homes. More alarming is the number in Minnesota, where over 80% of the deaths are nursing home related. That state has the acceptance policy in place, as does New Jersey which also saw 40% of its victims from nursing homes. Perhaps one of the most bothersome examples of this fractured policy is in Pennsylvania.

Governor Tom Wolf (D) has been especially strong-armed in his shutdown policies. He has threatened any businesses that might dare reopen, and even said counties relaxing restrictions could have federal funding stripped from them. Meanwhile Wolf has been less diligent on the care of the elderly. In his state two-thirds of all COVID fatalities are from nursing homes, all while a scandal has percolated. One medical official, Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, who is charged with overseeing nursing homes, saw fit to have her mother moved out of one facility to a private hotel as deaths in these facilities were spiking.

When it comes to national coverage of the states the mainstream press has been particularly focused only on the decisions they disagree with, with the coverage being of the variety of promised calamity. When Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp (R) announced his state would be among the first to lower stay-at-home restrictions the outrage in the media was palpable. Now it is seen, well after the incubation period, the promised outbreak of swaths of new cases never materialized. In South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem (R) resisted closing down her state. There were assurances this would make the state a COVID hotspot, as the media angrily lectured the decision. Their caseload has decreased over the past month.

In Florida, there has been plenty to outrage the press. When it was announced that Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) was opening up some beaches the New York press went into outrage overdrive, declaring this to be the worst decision possible and even launching the #FloridaMorons hashtag. Yet, while people at Jacksonville were segregated in the sun - a known killer of the virus itself - in New York city, where the Daily Beast is headquartered, they were still operating the subways. It was only later when the idea emerged to actually begin cleaning the cars.

Florida had been predicted to be swamped with over 450,000 COVID patients in hospitals by the end of April, but as that date arrived Gov. DeSantis held a press conference to detail the reality. The state had slightly over 2,000 active cases. While the news scribblers were wringing their hands about beaches, Gov. DeSantis was putting in place a program to tamp down nursing home deaths. Florida has had about 15% of the number that New York has experienced. Great news, but apparently it was not great enough to warrant an equal amount of headlines.

This has been the practice of our press. Rely on hysterical predictions to forward the messaging while ignoring the trenchant provable news items which should be reported. The narrative is always more important than public information.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: andrewcuomo; death; followthemoney; hcqludditeholocaust; nursinghomes; plandemic; rememberthebodybags; rondesantis; tomwolf

1 posted on 05/21/2020 10:28:26 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
Because demonicRATS and The Fake News Media (but I repeat myself) haven't figured out a way to blame it on Orange Man.

Fredo's smarter brother tried to but it didn't stick.

2 posted on 05/21/2020 10:31:25 AM PDT by Texas Eagle (If it wasn't for double-standards, Liberals would have no standards at all -- Texas Eagle)
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To: Kaslin

And the fact three Democratic governors could be facing a litany of wrongful death lawsuits.


3 posted on 05/21/2020 10:33:16 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's Economic Cure)
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To: Kaslin

I just heard Cuomo blame it on Trump and the CDC.


4 posted on 05/21/2020 10:38:52 AM PDT by Mercat
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To: Kaslin

because they are all in democrat run states- that’s why- bottom line- The MSM simply will never criticize failed democrats who blunder at every step- They protect them-

Liberals exploited the elderly and sick so that more would die so that the state could then whine about being a victim of the virus and grovel for federal $$- everyone knows this- hardly anyone is holding them accountable for dereliction of duty and reckless endangerment, and worse- These democrat leaders knew exactly what they were doing sending sick people into nursing homes- they knew what the results would be- and they issued EO’ers just the same- it was premeditated, calculated attack on our elderly and most vulnerable- all for the purpose of groveling for more federal $$-

The icing on the cake was that they denied the sick HCQ which could have saved their lives- they KNEW this- and yet still issued their sick evil EOers just the same


5 posted on 05/21/2020 10:39:18 AM PDT by Bob434
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To: RayChuang88
wrongful death

It's too coincidental to me for wrongful death and more like premeditation.

6 posted on 05/21/2020 10:41:14 AM PDT by BerryDingle (I know how to deal with communists, I still wear their scars on my back from Hollywood-Ronald Reagan)
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To: Kaslin

A lot of states are hiding it. It’s mixed in with overall numbers.

In virginia, they claim that nursing homes by law are treated as “individuals”, and that the state has no right to put out any information about how many infections an institution has, because that would violate their “privacy rights”.

And the media doesn’t seem to care, because they know it is democrats who are killing the old people.

A dump from 50 states, would likely show a direct and severe correlation between the political party in charge, and how many deaths and illnesses happened in nursing homes.


7 posted on 05/21/2020 10:42:55 AM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
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To: RayChuang88
Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, who is charged with overseeing nursing homes, saw fit to have her his mother moved out of one facility to a private hotel as deaths in these facilities were spiking.

Let's never forget, that's a man, Baby.

8 posted on 05/21/2020 10:52:20 AM PDT by Thommas
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To: Kaslin
The Pandemic Blindspot; Why is There so Little Coverage of Nursing Home Fiascos?

Because the biggest screwups and those who cover the news are on the same team.

9 posted on 05/21/2020 10:59:31 AM PDT by woodpusher
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To: Kaslin

Because the leftist media is afraid the governors and state officials involved were changing rules deliberately, hoping to push up the death count.


10 posted on 05/21/2020 11:11:25 AM PDT by Cincinnatus.45-70 (What do DemocRats enjoy more than a truckload of dead babies? Unloading them with a pitchfork!)
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To: Kaslin

It would underscore that Covid-19 is a virus that is fatal to those with comorbidities and advanced age. Otherwise, folks that catch it have only a slim (or smaller) risk of death. It would be impossible to scare the young and healthy—and they might do something about that.


11 posted on 05/21/2020 11:26:36 AM PDT by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: BerryDingle

“It’s too coincidental to me for wrongful death and more like premeditation. “

Yep.


12 posted on 05/21/2020 11:29:51 AM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: Kaslin
This has been the practice of our press. Rely on hysterical predictions to forward the messaging while ignoring the trenchant provable news items which should be reported.

Some broadcast licenses need to be revoked.

13 posted on 05/21/2020 11:35:20 AM PDT by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: Kaslin

Go on Twitter and read what the left says. They are TRUE believers and swallow anything given to them. These Democrat governors have no fear whatsoever of the law,voters or the President.


14 posted on 05/21/2020 11:40:56 AM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: Kaslin

Probably because there aren’t necessarily nursing home fiascos.


15 posted on 05/21/2020 11:41:48 AM PDT by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Have!)
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To: Kaslin

The elderly are being held prisoners. They are dying of lonliness and isolation.


16 posted on 05/21/2020 11:55:11 AM PDT by Baldwin77 (They hated Reagan too ! TRUMP TOUGH - AMERICA STRONG)
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To: Kaslin
"Why is There so Little Coverage of Nursing Home Fiascos?"

Simple... The communist strategy of eliminating the American older (60-100) generation efficiently removes all traces of any herd memory of times when the U.S. still had many of the freedoms and liberties that were protected by the Constitution...

All younger Americans are clueless about what the term "freedom & liberty" means...

In fact, the concepts of freedom & liberty are the primary forces causing "triggering" among the sheeple... The sooner the older generations are dead and gone, the happier the serfs and their rulers will be...

17 posted on 05/21/2020 11:55:24 AM PDT by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
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To: CharlesWayneCT

“A dump from 50 states, would likely show a direct and severe correlation between the political party in charge, and how many deaths and illnesses happened in nursing homes.”

Betcha it’s not only rat run states but rat run localities as well.


18 posted on 05/21/2020 1:30:43 PM PDT by LastDayz (A blunt and brazen Texan. I will not be assimilated.)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

19 posted on 05/24/2020 1:42:13 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Thommas
that's a man baby...


20 posted on 05/24/2020 3:46:22 PM PDT by Fred Nerks (Fair Dinkum!)
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