Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
Yesterday, Orange County had its highest death rate yet– an eye-popping 10 patients dying when our normal tally is somewhere between zero and three. What caused the surge? Gavin Newsom issued an executive order just like the one that New York did under Governor Cuomo– an EO that actually forces nursing homes to take in people who are actively infected with coronavirus. (linked here).
SNFs shall not refuse to admit or readmit a resident based on their status as a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case.
You read that right. Gavin Newsom’s order demands that our most vulnerable population be forced to have exposure to Coronavirus.
And 8 of these 10 deaths were due to a Coronavirus ripping through a Skilled Nursing Home center right here in Newport Beach, which the city warned about on May 9th (linked here).
The LATimes itself reported on May 8th that a mind-boggling 49% of all California Coronavirus deaths come from nursing homes. (linked here). Right now, California shows 848 nursing home deaths (linked here)— but that’s with some significant data lag (linked here). With 3,334 total deaths reported as of yesterday– and assuming that percentage hasn’t changed much since May 8th– this would account for 1,667 nursing home deaths that could have been saved if Newsom’s order wasn’t to send people sick with deadly diseases into confined areas with our most vulnerable population.
We reported nearly a month ago on the fact that the stay-at-home orders put our seniors at the most risk possible (linked here), but the discovery that we are literally pushing sick people into nursing homes and we have an executive order to stop any prohibition of that? You don’t order that by accident.
We have some great stories to come, which we are finishing up as we publish this one. Stay tuned.
