Novi Times

Michigan House Republican lawmakers have called out Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for what they say is her nursing home policy that has fallen short in more ways than one, according to a press release from the state’s GOP House website.

The legislators claimed  Whitmer’s plan, which they said forced those who have been infected with COVID-19 into nursing homes, has brutally failed. 

“The governor new better. She knew before COVID-19 made its way into Michigan that our state’s elderly -- especially those with underlying health conditions -- were more susceptible to serious complications of the deadly virus," the chair of the House Families, Children and Seniors Committee Rep. Kathy Crawford  said in the press release.

She continued and said the regulations Whitmer set in place were careless. 

"The nursing home protocols the administration implemented are irresponsible, negligent and reckless," she said in the press release. "The people put in harm’s way by this policy are expendable. These are grandmothers, grandfathers, moms, dads, brothers, and sisters who are being put in danger. We are better than this, and we have to be better than this. It’s time the governor prioritizes the health and safety of all Michiganders and looks for a better alternative.”

Rep. Ryan Berman concurred and also argued that nursing homes don’t have the capacity to assist and help the growing number of coronavirus patients, according to the press release. He pointed to the low number of employees, along with the notion that there isn’t enough personal protective equipment (PPE) that can help treat the coronavirus.

"This was a recipe for disaster from the very beginning and only time will tell how many families have been tragically hurt by the governor’s decisions. The people of Michigan deserve answers," Berman said in the press release.

The lawmakers also pointed out that more than a fourth of the coroanvirus deaths in Michigan were those who lived in a nursing home.