Media Doesn’t Care That People Died Because Cuomo Put Coronavirus Patients In Nursing Homes

As the crisis deepened and lockdowns were imposed, a different political narrative emerged that contrasted with the alleged failures of President Donald Trump. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s daily briefings became must-watch television in much the same way Trump’s press conferences did, except Cuomo’s performance seemed to charm many, including the corporate media.

Cuomo’s ability to strike the right tone consistently by sounding in charge, as well as speaking in a manner that seemed comforting to those in distress, was in marked contrast with Trump’s confrontational style that may have appealed to his supporters while alienating many others. While most of the mainstream media continued to hit Trump hard by second-guessing his decision-making early in the crisis, Cuomo’s decisions escaped close scrutiny.

That should have changed once it was clear that one of the hottest of the pandemic’s hotspots — New York’s nursing homes — were compelled by a state regulation to take in recovering coronavirus victims, many of whom were likely still contagious.

The implication of this rule — which was apparently strictly enforced and similar to the order issued by California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration — was that facilities filled with exactly the most vulnerable population had no choice but to admit carriers of the contagion. The results of this blunder were as brutal as they were predictable. As of last week, New York’s Health Department estimated the number of nursing home patients who had died of COVID-19 to be 3,500, a total representing more than 20 percent of all the state’s fatalities.