Cuomo Flip Flops, Threatens To Fine Hospitals For Not Meeting COVID Vaccination Targets

New York Gov Andrew Cuomo, once lionized by CNN & MSNBC as a liberal “hero” of the COVID-19 pandemic, with his every word and press conference broadcast for a national audience, is discovering that the country is starting to tire of his ‘tough on COVID-19’ act. We suspect his decision to send infected patients back to nursing homes, which is believed to have contributed to thousands of avoidable deaths, might have something to do with that.

But even if it wasn’t for this depressing reality, Cuomo’s latest attempt to wrest back the national spotlight by positioning himself as a “leader” in the vaccine rollout is already going awry. Over the weekend, the NY governor announced that he would be signing an executive order threatening to fine hospitals up to $1MM for doling out vaccine doses to patients who don’t fall under the state’s ‘priority’ criteria (a group that includes nursing home residents and drug addicts housed in state-run rehab facilities). He insisted that the measure was intended to combat economic inequality, and ensure that the wealthy and privileged didn’t manage to finagle early access to the vaccine.

Instead, critics lambasted the governor for creating more roadblocks and oversight at a time when NY, like pretty much every other state in the US (with the exception of a few standouts like, uh, West Virginia), was already way behind in meeting its vaccine targets.

So on Monday, the governor revealed during a midday press conference that, in an effort to speed the process along, he would also fine hospitals for failing to meet their vaccination targets. Going forward, the governor declared, hospitals must use all of their doses within seven days of receiving them (presumably to avoid any being thrown out). He also blamed the slowness in vaccinating all the state’s nursing home residents on the federal government, and claimed the state would be stepping in.

Governor Andrew Cuomo press conference starting now:
– 8.34% statewide positive COVID-19 infection rate
– statewide hospitalizations up 288 – now at 8,251
– 170 New Yorkers passed away from COVID-19 yesterday

— Morgan Mckay (@morganfmckay) January 4, 2021

NEWS: Cuomo says that hospitals hospitals can face fines of up to $100,000 if they do not use all their vaccines by the end of this week.

Going forward, facilities must use all vaccines within 7 days of receipt

— Morgan Mckay (@morganfmckay) January 4, 2021

Cuomo: The state will be establishing drive-thrus for public distribution when it is time for the public to receive their vaccine.

State will recruit additional retired personnel, nurses, doctors and pharmacists to administer vaccines. Will use public facilities

— Morgan Mckay (@morganfmckay) January 4, 2021

The governor also expanded the list of eligible recipients to include all doctors, nurses and health-care workers who come in contact with the public (not solely those who work in emergency medicine).

Some on Twitter seized the opportunity to crack a joke at the governor’s expense.

Cuomo: if you vaccinate a single person not on the approved list, we will fine you $1,000,000

Hospitals: okay

Cuomo: and if you have any vaccines left over, we will also fine you

Hospitals: … https://t.co/CayK037Zeg

— Aditya Mukerjee, the Otterrific 🦦 🏳️‍🌈 (@chimeracoder) January 4, 2021

Cuomo has proposed fining people who do this one million dollars https://t.co/Dx9up9rY98

— Eric Brown (@ericbrownzzz) January 4, 2021

As if that weren’t enough, the Intercept, one of the preeminent far-left publications in the left, redoubled its attacks on the NY governor (who has successfully fended off a stream of progressive challengers over the years) accusing him of using the pandemic to “consolidate power.”

If you want to know what “Trumpism without Trump” looks like, well, then the answer is it looks a lot like Andrew Cuomo. https://t.co/7b111e6o5R

— Jacob Bacharach (@jakebackpack) January 4, 2021

If there’s anything that can unify Americans on disparate ends of the political spectrum, it’s a distaste for NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo.