Posted on 04/06/2020 12:34:25 PM PDT by nickcarraway
An executive order that says the state can take ventilators
As deaths spiraled upward in New York City and downstate suburbs, Governor Andrew Cuomo Friday announced that he was scrambling to find more of the ventilators that keep the sickest COVID-19 patients alive.
"We could have people dying because there are no ventilators, but there are hospitals in other parts of the state that have ventilators that they're not using," he said.
Governor Cuomo shown opening the state's first drive-through COVID-19 mobile testing center in New Rochelle as the pandemic first hit NYS. Photo: Office of Gov. Cuomo Much of Cuomo’s effort to make New York health providers cooperate and coordinate care through this crisis has been voluntary. He’s urged hospitals to share patients and resources. But on Friday he took an additional and controversial step, announcing he might seize equipment and redistribute it even if hospitals say no.
"I'm going to sign an executive order that says the state can take ventilators and personal protective equipment from institutions that don't need them now and redeploy them," Cuomo said.
Within hours, state and federal lawmakers Upstate and here in the North Country were rallying against this idea.
"This is of grave concern to the hospitals in my district," said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik.
Of the 4,159 New Yorkers who’ve died from COVID-19, a tiny fraction – only around five – lived here in the North Country. Most of the regions hospitals haven’t yet seen a surge of people sick with the virus. Most ventilators here are unused.
But Stefanik says if this region’s small hospitals give up any of their equipment it could leave people vulnerable. "I represent the highest percentage of seniors in New York state of any congressional district, individuals who are the most vulnerable," she said.
Other prominent North Country lawmakers including Republican state Assemblyman Mark Walcyzk from Watertown and Republican Assemblyman Dan Stec from Queensbury also blasted the plan.
Some Democrats also urged Cuomo to reconsider his executive order, which by Sunday still hadn’t gone into effect.
Cuomo says North Country will eventually get help from other parts of NY Asked about this yesterday, Governor Cuomo said he believes that if Upstate hospitals give up 20 percent of their unused ventilators, it could total roughly 500 machines.
He said this kind of redistribution will eventually benefit all parts of the state.
We're not going to lose a life because we didn't share resources among ourselves"This virus will overwhelm the resources of any single community," he said. "We will come to a point where the wave will run right through the state. We're going to do that [redeployment of equipment] for Albany and Rochester and Syracuse and the North Country. We're not going to lose a life because we didn't share resources among ourselves." Hospitals in the North Country have very few ventilators. If COVID-19 does continue to build here, spreading aggressively, the region will almost certainly need help from other parts of the state.
NCPR asked Congresswoman Stefanik about this during her conference call with reporters on Friday. Does it make sense for the North Country to withhold aid while other parts of New York are in need now?
"I represent twelve counties in the North Country," she said. "I don't represent other parts of New York state. My job is to advocate for the hospitals and the people of my district. I cannot overestimate how many messages, calls, texts, etc. we are getting from very, very concerned constituents who live in this district.
The Healthcare Association of New York State, which represents hospitals statewide, issued a neutral statement about Cuomo’s executive order.
"Our hospitals will continue to rise to the occasion," the organization said on its website. "They will strike the right balance, protecting their local community members while doing everything they can to save lives throughout New York."
When did it stop being Upstate?
There is a NY governor sitting on a warehouse stockpile of ventilators that he’s not releasing now to deal with the current cases that require them,
and instead is blaming other people and groups for not turning over their ventilators to him.
Methinks Comrade Cuomo is loving this (and many other Comrade Governors and Comrade Mayors).
Sheesh, she has really stepped up her game. Maybe the NY GOP ought to reform and get her into the Governors mansion where she can veto the garbage coming out of the Dem Senate/Assembly.
That's how people North of Albany distinguish their region, The Adirondack region.
I grew up near the boundary of Erie and Genessee Counties.
My bad.
Excelsior!
Yes, includes places like Watertown, Pulaski, Ogdensburg, Potsdam, Massena, etc.
[”North Country”
When did it stop being Upstate? ]
Interestingly, today he said he doesn't need anymore ventilators. Me thinks many got to him.
There’s NYC, there’s Longisland, and then there’s Upstate.
No upstate on the official NYC map?
http://thewei.com/kimi/the-famous-myopic-view-of-the-world-from-the-pov-of-new-yorkers/
[No upstate on the official NYC map?
http://thewei.com/kimi/the-famous-myopic-view-of-the-world-from-the-pov-of-new-yorkers/]
Most of NYC is on Long Island.
My friends & family Upstate wish they could secede from NYC & Cuomo..
This could end with a local Sheriffs Dept. vs. State Police shootout in front of a hospital someplace.
There’s a NY State prison named Upstate..it’s located in the North Country...Anyway ..Rep, Elise Stefanik does a Great Job..she’s despised by liberals & not afraid to challenge King Cuomo..Harvard gal...
[Most of NYC is on Long Island. ]
Been the North Country forever, it is the Northern part of the state, Watertown, etc. NY has many areas that are not NYC, but are all upstate - Western NY, Central NY, the Southern Tier, The Finger Lakes, the North Country, and more. Most of them overlap.
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