There's a Skeleton Lurking in Cuomo's Closet: Trump Finds it, Exposes it on Live TV
New York governor is hoist with his own petard over pandemic planning
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In response to recent complaints from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, regarding the level of assistance New York is receiving from the federal government for the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump uncovered a skeleton lurking in the Democrat NY governor's closet and exposed it on live TV.
While speaking to Fox News Wednesday, President Trump reached into his pocket and pulled out a report that hoisted Cuomo by his own petard.
Trump read from an op-ed by a former Lt Governor of New York, accusing Gov. Cuomo of ignoring Ventilator Allocation Guidelines showing a shortfall of ventilators (-15,783) during peak week demand.
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After the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic, the Obama administration saw the need to create a stockpile of ventilators but New York State has stockpiled 1,750.
And while Cuomo would have still come short now, even if he had made the purchase in 2015 - with state health officials now saying the NY needs 30,000 ventilators -, it's still hypocritical to blame Trump for the current lack of ventilators in New York.
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The real solutions we need have not changed – find a vaccine and ramp up American production of key supplies.
On those fronts, Trump is moving forward and we are testing multiple drug therapies and vaccines while American business is ramping up.
Fredo’s brother Andrew Cuomo (New York Governor) neglected to order 16,000 ventilators five years ago when it was recommended to him. Now he’s blaming Trump. pic.twitter.com/7KpvFxlZQQ
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) March 24, 2020
"Hospitals in New York are running short," according to the report cited by Trump:
"To his credit, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is doing his best, but he admits 'you can’t find available ventilators no matter how much you’re willing to pay right now, because there is literally a global run on ventilators.'
"It’s a little late. Several years ago, after learning that the Empire State’s stockpile of medical equipment had 16,000 fewer ventilators than the 18,000 New Yorkers would need in a severe pandemic, state public-health leaders came to a fork in the road.
"They could have chosen to buy more ventilators to back up the supplies hospitals maintain.
"Instead, the health commissioner, Howard Zucker, assembled a task force for rationing the ventilators they already had.
"In 2015, that task force came up with rules that will be imposed when ventilators run short.
"Patients assigned a red code will have highest access, and other patients will be assigned green, yellow or blue (the worst), depending on a 'triage officer’s' decision.
"In truth, a death officer. Let’s not sugar-coat it. It won’t be up to your own doctor.
"In 2015, the state could have purchased the additional 16,000 needed ventilators for $36,000 apiece or a total of $576 million.
"It’s a lot of money, but in hindsight, spending half a percent of the budget to prepare for a pandemic was the right thing to do.
"To be fair, governments everywhere stockpiled too little.
"Washington didn’t do much better: The federal Strategic National Stockpile is undersupplied to meet the coronavirus emergency.
"Now the pandemic is actually here. New York’s grim-reaper rules will be applied.
"New York City’s deputy commissioner for disease control, Demetre Daskalakis, is anticipating 'some very serious, difficult decisions.'
"So far, in Gotham, one of every four people with a confirmed case has been hospitalized, and 44 percent of them have needed a ventilator."
While the report did not recommend buying more ventilators, it did outline how ventilators would need to be allocated when sick patients overwhelmed hospitals.
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Meanwhile, on Monday, Tesla’s Elon Musk delivered 1,000 ventilators to California – it only took him a week to get that done.
Elon Musk acquired 1,200 ventilators from China to help Los Angeles’ fight against the coronavirus https://t.co/Z9bRsJWvdf pic.twitter.com/KZKUTS4gHy
— Forbes (@Forbes) March 24, 2020
He did not make them at one of his factories but he has been in talks with leading manufactures to work together to increase production as it is faster than starting from scratch.
