Macomb County prosecutor introduces process for reviewing nursing home COVID-19 deaths

MACOMB CO., Mich. – Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido stated a brand new kind will enable county residents to offer info to legislation enforcement officers about seniors who died in nursing houses in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This info could be used to start investigations into the state insurance policies carried out final 12 months, Lucido stated. Regulation enforcement officers would then report which actions, if any, they imagine needs to be taken.

Michigan‘s nursing residence coverage final 12 months, which was ordered by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, remodeled the care services into coronavirus hubs the place the state would transfer sufferers contaminated with the virus to.

Lucido stated he has been requested by quite a few households about what might be performed about seniors who died in nursing houses, probably because of that coverage

The coverage, which Whitmer stated got here from CDC steerage final 12 months, drew swift bipartisan criticism for probably endangering aged residents by exposing them to already-infected people.

RELATED: State Republicans want Whitmer investigated for senior facility restrictions, COVID-19 deaths

Lucido stated the investigations may end in numerous expenses or no expenses.

“Households who’ve misplaced family members should know the reality,” he stated. 

Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido declares plans to analyze instances the place seniors died in nursing houses in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2021.

The county prosecutor has indicated an curiosity in constructing a felony case towards the governor over the transfer and if anybody died because of this. 

Nursing houses have been a few of the deadliest locations for COVID-19 infections in the course of the onset of the pandemic, killing tens of 1000’s of aged sufferers unable to battle off the virus. 

Excessive profile tales out of New York state have landed its personal governor in sizzling water as nicely after proof confirmed the administration had lied about what number of deaths occurred in nursing houses.

Whitmer’s workplace has chastized the language utilized by Lucido, calling them “shameful political assaults.” 

Lucido additionally stated he had been in discussions with the county’s medical expert and the well being division about Michigan legislation, which supplies him grounds for establishing a evaluation board for aged and grownup deaths.

Whitmer launched the next assertion earlier this week concerning the difficulty:

“Our high precedence from the beginning has been defending Michiganders, particularly seniors and our most susceptible. The administration’s insurance policies fastidiously tracked CDC steerage on nursing houses, and we prioritized testing of nursing residence residents and employees to save lots of lives. Early within the pandemic, the state acted swiftly to create a community of regional hubs with isolation items and sufficient PPE to forestall the unfold of COVID-19 inside a facility. As well as, we’ve got supplied 100% of nursing residence resident precedence entry to the vaccine. Each the previous head of AARP, in addition to an impartial U-M examine, praised our work to save lots of lives in nursing houses.

“Mr. Lucido’s feedback are shameful political assaults based mostly in neither reality nor actuality. Even his former colleague, Republican Sen. Ed McBroom, has stated they ‘haven’t seen any proof or testimony that claims {that a} nursing residence was compelled to take somebody towards their will.’ And there’s a cause why Mr. Lucido’s colleagues have publicly rebuked this politically-motivated waste of taxpayer {dollars}. Michiganders are bored with these petty partisan video games, and we gained’t be distracted by them both.”

The shape for reporting deaths to legislation enforcement might be discovered here.