A 66-year-old patient at Dry Harbor Nursing Dwelling died of COVID-19 past week right after the Queens facility gave vaccines only to permanent citizens — a misguided plan the state allegedly knew about in progress.

Vita Fontanetta, known as Tina, was admitted to the 360-mattress facility to recover from leg inflammation on Jan. 11. When the nursing residence doled out vaccines on Jan. 13, she was excluded, a relatives member instructed City Councilman Robert Holden.

HOW CAN I Avoid CORONAVIRUS VARIANTS?

On Jan. 18, the grandmother of two was sent back to the medical center thanks to anemia, and tested beneficial for COVID upon arrival, he mentioned.

 She died at Wyckoff Heights Clinical Middle on Jan. 23.

“I truly feel like the nursing property was somehow dependable,” Fontanetta’s daughter-in-regulation informed Holden (D-Queens) after a front-website page report in The Put up uncovered the Dry Harbor selective-vaccine fiasco.

“It doesn’t appear that the state is sufficiently checking nursing property services, possibly for Covid avoidance or vaccine rollout,” Holden claimed Saturday.

A COVID-19 outbreak at Dry Harbor — at least 44 residents and 11 staffers have tested optimistic due to the fact Dec. 22 — reveals flaws in the Cuomo administration’s oversight of protection and vaccination in New York nursing households.

Holden joined Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Queens), who misplaced an uncle in a nursing household due to COVID-19, in contacting for a broad, independent investigation.

The councilman’s 96-year-old mom, Anne Holden, a rehab affected person at Dry Harbor, also was excluded from a to start with spherical of vaccinations the nursing dwelling gave long lasting inhabitants via a federal software administered by CVS on Dec. 23. 

Anne received a first dose a few weeks afterwards on Jan. 13, when other people acquired a 2nd dose. She arrived down with COVID on Jan. 20 and was hospitalized. She remains in stable issue.

Other individuals and households are suffering from COVID immediately after Dry Harbor unsuccessful to vaccinate them.

Carmen Martinez, a resident since April, was excluded from the vaccinations on Dec. 23, her son Antonio Collazo explained to The Write-up. 

Collazo stated he been given a recorded message from Dry Harbor on Christmas Eve stating it had vaccinated “people inhabitants who asked for it.” 

Collazo complained that he had asked for the vaccine for his mom, who suffers from moderate Alzheimer’s. The 92-yr-previous was then scheduled to get her to start with dose on Jan. 13.

But on Jan. 12, Martinez tested positive for COVID. She was hospitalized, and is now unconscious on a ventilator, clinging to existence.

“I may perhaps under no circumstances get to see her alive once again,” Collazo explained of his mother, a retired federal worker, grandmother and great-grandmother.

A 73-calendar year-outdated Queens gentleman despatched to Dry Harbor to recover from a damaged hip also missed the pre-Christmas vaccine. He examined positive for Covid on Jan. 4, his sister told The Post.

Now he will have to wait 90 days to get vaccinated. He also must halt his most cancers treatment right up until he recovers from COVID, she said.

“I do not know what the nursing home was wondering. Why wouldn’t they secure the rehab clients?”

Previous 7 days, the sister gained a recorded cellphone information from Dry Harbor administrator Mark Solomon assuring “they will be providing out the vaccines to anyone there and we shouldn’t worry about our loved ones users,” she explained. “A very little way too late for my brother and the councilman’s mother.” 

Her brother continues to be on Dry Harbor’s fourth ground, in which all the COVID individuals are housed.

Solomon did not return messages in search of remark.

FLASHBACK: MEDIA FAWNED In excess of CUOMO’S ‘LEADERSHIP’ DURING COVID AS NY NURSING Residence SCANDAL BREWED

Holden claimed he spoke to a condition Overall health Office investigator last 7 days who told him she realized about Dry Harbor’s approach to vaccinate only long term citizens to start with, but did nothing at all to right or cease it.

“Do you believe it is sensible in a Covid outbreak to vaccinate only a portion of the patients, supplying only some men and women a preventing opportunity?” Holden mentioned he asked the inspector, Carmen Meliton.

“It’s not up to me to say regardless of whether it’s appropriate or not,” he claimed Meliton replied.

Jonah Bruno, a spokesman for the point out Well being Section, contradicted the statements, saying nursing residences are not necessary to post a vaccination prepare to the point out.

But Bruno reiterated that Dry Harbor did not follow point out protocol, indicating the condition has no coverage prioritizing people or people. 

“Vaccinations are getting offered to all nursing-home citizens irrespective of short phrase or lengthy time period continue to be,” he claimed.

Holden is discouraged. “It is clear that a single hand does not know what the other is accomplishing at the point out Office of Health,” he claimed.

Bruno  did not  respond to when requested if Dry Harbor had informed the Well being Department  about Fontanetta’s loss of life. He also did not answer the question of how many unvaccinated or other residents who tested good in Dry Harbor later died in hospitals.

Simply click Right here TO GET THE FOX Information App

 Since the pandemic commenced, the state has tallied the documented fatalities of patients who died of COVID in nursing properties — not these who caught the bug in nursing houses and died in hospitals.

Previous week, state Attorney Typical Letitia James issued a report blasting the Cuomo administration for  substantially underreporting nursing residence deaths.



Source connection