I am making my way through your COVID19 turning point emails. And really … they are so good. I struggle to know which to absorb myself and which to share in posts. I can’t post them all and many, in the nature of things, are similar. But each captures some unique angle on the story or human experience of it. There are entirely unexpected scenarios which aren’t turning points so much as collisions with life, like the – one imagines – quite awkward necessity of broaching with your fiance the possibility of postponing your wedding. That’s the experience TPM Reader JL shares.
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Where Things Stand: The Rewards Of Forcing The Desperate To Return To Work
The governors of Texas and Iowa will soon be rewarded for their reopening efforts with a visit to the White House this week.
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Trump Didn’t Let Fauci Testify Before House Because They’re ‘A Bunch Of Trump Haters’
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he barred Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top official on the White House COVID-19 task force, from testifying in front of the Democratic-controlled House last week because the hearing was supposedly a “setup” orchestrated by Trump’s political enemies.
Rural Infection Rates Spike As Urban Outbreaks Subside, Data Says
As COVID-19 may be on a slow, downward trend in the hotspots of New York City, New Orleans, and Detroit, the virus appears to be finding new ground elsewhere: in rural America.
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CNN: Even Barr Is Warning Trump Against SCOTUS Case That Would Nuke Obamacare
The longstanding internal Trump administration battle over tearing down Obamacare has come to a head again.
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WH Blocks COVID Task Force Members From Testifying Before Congress Without Permission
The White House has ordered officials on the White House coronavirus task force to seek permission from White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows before accepting Congress’ request for testimony, a senior administration official confirmed to TPM via email on Tuesday.
New York State Reports More Than 1,700 Additional Deaths At Nursing Homes
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state is reporting more than 1,700 previously undisclosed deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities as the state faces scrutiny over how it’s protected vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic.
At least 4,813 people have died from COVID-19 in the state’s nursing homes since March 1, according to a tally released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration late Monday that, for the first time, includes people believed to have been killed by the coronavirus before their diagnoses could be confirmed by a lab test.
Exactly how many nursing home residents have died remains uncertain despite the state’s latest disclosure, as the list doesn’t nursing home residents who were transferred to hospitals before dying.
The revised list shows that 22 nursing homes, largely in New York City and Long Island, have reported at least 40 deaths.
Parker Jewish Institute in Queens and Isabella Geriatric Center — one of New York City’s largest nursing homes with 705 beds — have reported the highest number of deaths: 71 and 64, respectively.
Audrey Waters, a spokeswoman for Isabella Geriatric Center, said in an email last week, “Isabella, like all other nursing homes in New York City, initially had limited access to widespread and consistent in-house testing to quickly diagnose our residents and staff. This hampered our ability to identify those who were infected and asymptomatic, despite our efforts to swiftly separate anyone who presented symptoms.”
In many cases, the state’s new figures reveal many more deaths than previously reported at nursing homes: Isabella Geriatric Center had 13 COVID-19 deaths reported as of May 1, and now reports the deaths of 21 patients who were confirmed to have COVID-19 along with 43 deaths of residents presumed to have COVID-19. And Ozanam Hall of Queens now is reporting a total of 53 deaths, up from just 10.
Several veterans home have been especially hard-hit by the virus: The Long Island State Veterans Home has reported 53 deaths; including 48 confirmed and five presumed COVID-19 deaths. The New York State Veterans Home at St. Albans in Queens has reported 33 deaths while New York State Veterans Home at Montrose in Westchester says 22 residents have died.
Cuomo promised on March 2, when only a handful of coronavirus cases had been reported in New York, to make a “special effort” for nursing homes and congregate homes housing senior citizens. The state directed nursing homes to screen visitors and consider modifying visiting hours on March 6, and later suspended visits to nursing homes statewide March 12.
But the governor is facing criticism over his administration’s role in overseeing and supporting New York’s overwhelmed, state-regulated nursing homes as many have struggled to treat COVID-19 patients, amass enough personal protective gear or ensure adequate staffing.
Advocacy groups for the elderly and family members of nursing home residents have called for greater transparency over COVID-19 cases at each state-regulated nursing home and criticized an April 1 state law granting some immunity to hospitals and nursing homes from civil and criminal liability. They also questioned the state’s March 25 policy that says “no resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to a nursing home solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19.”
The governor and his administration have defended that policy as ensuring nursing home residents aren’t left lingering in hospitals or without anywhere else to go. Cuomo’s spokesman tweeted Monday that the policy follows federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidance. But the federal guidance says only that a nursing home “can accept a resident diagnosed with COVID-19” so long as the nursing home can follow federal guidance on transmission precautions.
Cuomo has also said the state has facilities that can house transferred COVID-19 nursing homes patients, and he recently said that nursing homes that tell the state up-front that they can’t care for a COVID-19 patient wouldn’t face regulatory scrutiny. His administration hasn’t responded to a request for questions on the state’s current capacity to care for COVID-19 nursing home residents and whether nursing homes were informed.
China Reports One New COVID Case And No New Deaths
BEIJING — China reported one new case of coronavirus Tuesday and no deaths, marking three weeks since it recorded a COVID-19 fatality.
The National Health Commission said 395 people remained under treatment in the hospital, while 949 were under isolation and observation for suspected cases or after testing positive despite showing no symptoms.
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UK Becomes Epicenter Of The Coronavirus In Europe
LONDON (AP) — Britain on Tuesday became the first country in Europe to confirm more than 30,000 coronavirus deaths, and infections rose sharply again in Russia, even as other nations made great strides in containing the scourge. China marked its third week with no new reported deaths, while South Korea restarted its baseball season.
In the U.S., some states took continued steps to lift the lockdown restrictions that have thrown millions out of work, even as the country recorded thousands of new infections and deaths every day.
Britain appeared set to surpass Italy as Europe’s hardest-hit nation. The government said about 28,700 people with COVID-19 had died in hospitals, nursing homes and other settings, while Italy reported close to 29,100 fatalities. Both figures are almost certainly underestimates because they include only people who tested positive, and testing was not widespread in Italian and British nursing homes until recently.
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French Scientists May Have Discovered COVID Case Dating Back To December
LONDON (AP) — French scientists say they may have identified a possible case of the new coronavirus dating back to December — about a month before the first cases were officially confirmed in Europe.
In a study published in the International Journal of Microbial Agents, doctors at a hospital north of Paris reviewed retrospective samples of 14 patients treated for atypical pneumonia between early December and mid-January. Among those were the records of Amirouche Hammar, a fishmonger in his 40s from Algeria who has lived in France for years and had no recent travel history.
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