Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took a swipe at his New York counterpart over a major scandal involving the coronavirus pandemic and Andrew Cuomo’s role in nursing home deaths.
Cuomo chimed in on recent news that the Sunshine State has seen a spike in new COVID-19 cases – something DeSantis attributes to increased testing – by suggesting he would quarantine visitors from Florida.
As if anybody is actually clamoring to get back in to New York.
It was the kind of petulant comment you’d expect from Cuomo. A response to DeSantis having to do the same thing to New Yorkers coming into his state.
“It is a real concern,” Cuomo said when asked about a quarantine on incoming Floridians. “You’re right, it could happen and it is something I’m considering.”
Andrew Cuomo threatened to force people to quarantine if they travel to New York from Florida… as if people are actually leaving Florida to go to the number 1 in deaths/cases of COVID state in America.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) June 18, 2020
RELATED: Cuomo Blames Republicans For Promoting Nursing Home Scandal, Dismisses Deaths As ‘Shiny Object’
DeSantis Hammers Cuomo
Cuomo’s threat is laughable on two fronts:
- New York far exceeds all other states in confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. In the latter statistic, New York nearly doubles that of the next closest state of New Jersey (24,710 to 12,857). Florida has seen 3,144 deaths despite relaxing restrictions on businesses and resident well before Cuomo did. So a quarantine in people from NY is understandable.
- The New York Times has reported that Florida has been a top destination for New Yorkers seeking to escape the coronavirus pandemic after the Cuomo administration badly mishandled the response. Could the rise in cases be partially due to that?
Where New Yorkers Moved to Escape Coronavirus – The New York Times https://t.co/Ysj6C5auXA
— Cuomo Watch (@CuomoWatch) May 18, 2020
DeSantis responded by blasting Cuomo for a deadly scandal that the Democrat helped perpetuate.
“I would just ask if that’s done just please do not quarantine any Floridians in the nursing homes in New York,” DeSantis chided during a press conference.
FLORIDA: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a swipe at Gov. Cuomo, saying that if he imposes a quarantine on Florida visitors, “just please do not quarantine any Floridians in the nursing homes in New York.” pic.twitter.com/r64jPIhRmY
— KolHaolam (@KolHaolam) June 21, 2020
RELATED: Cuomo: It’s Trump’s Fault That I Issued An Order Forcing Nursing Homes To Take COVID Patients
Cuomo’s Deadly Mistake
DeSantis’ comment is alluding to an executive order issued by Cuomo in March which forced nursing homes to take on patients that had tested positive for coronavirus.
The order stated in-part: “No resident shall be denied readmission or admission to NH solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19.”
Cuomo then failed to reverse the directive for six weeks as thousands upon thousands of senior citizen deaths mounted.
His administration responded to DeSantis’ jab through a statement by senior adviser Rich Azzopardi, a man with all the emotional stability of a pre-pubescent child.
“Said the guy who can’t even put on a mask on the right way!” responded Azzopardi. “Maybe less time repeating right-wing Twitter bots and more time trying to competently manage the pandemic that’s spiking in his state.”
If one were to analyze Azzopardi’s Twitter timeline – his bio likes to pretend he’s the “bulldog” of the administration – you’ll see he blames every valid debatable point that reflects poorly on his beloved boss on ‘twitter bots.’
But then, he’s just emulating his muse.
Cuomo has thus far blamed the nursing home scandal he caused on:
- Reporters at the New York Post.
- Republicans.
- President Trump (something even Politifact said was a lie).
If Dad sets a bad example by blaming other entities for his own shortcomings, then of course the kids on his staff will as well.
Republicans need to continue calling out Cuomo on this nursing home disaster every chance they get. The media is covering for this man, who is a viable option to run for President in 2024.
