Nursing home board members quiet after Republic investigation led Ducey to disband group Caitlin McGlade and Anne Ryman, Arizona Republic
Kay Vetere talks about her husband who died of COVID-19 at Granite Creek Nursing Home
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Members of Arizona s nursing home board appeared to be in denial during their first meeting since Gov. Doug Ducey announced he was shutting down their organization for failing to protect residents.
The seven members said next to nothing about the governor’s veto of Senate Bill 1282, which would have reauthorized the board until 2029. They just carried on with business as usual for nearly four hours Monday, proceeding to launch 10 new investigations relating to assisted living facilities and making plans with one manager for a year in the future.
Gov. Doug Ducey is shuttering the board responsible for licensing nursing home administrators after an Arizona Republic investigation revealed its members approved a felon who forced employees to work while sick with COVID-19.
Nine families are now suing the Prescott nursing home. Almost all the suits are for wrongful death.
Kathy Smith, who lost her husband after a brief stay at Granite Creek, was happy to hear that the board will be disbanded.
“They weren’t doing anything except drawing a wage,” she said.
Dana Kennedy, AARP’s Arizona Director, said a major problem with the board was that it was made up of nursing home administrators charged with regulating their own kind. She said they “had a blank check.”
US reports sharp drop in first-dose vaccinations; Florida suspends emergency orders, mask requirements: Live COVID-19 updates John Bacon, Elinor Aspegren and Mike Stucka, USA TODAY
Passengers arrive in US amid disaster in India
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The United States is reporting first-dose vaccine jabs at less than half the pace of just a few weeks ago, a USA TODAY analysis of CDC data shows.
The U.S. reported administering 6.54 million first doses in the week ending Monday, down sharply from 14 million reported in the week ending April 13. On Monday alone, the country reported administering about 471,000 first doses, the lowest number seen since Feb. 23, when an ice storm had snarled supplies.
Vaccination campaign to focus on hesitant as Biden aims for 70% of adults to have a shot by July 4: Live COVID-19 updates John Bacon, Jorge L. Ortiz and Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY
President Biden sets goal to have 70% of adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4
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To reach his new goal of having 70% of American adults receive at least one vaccine dose by July 4th, President Joe Biden on Tuesday outlined a plan that includes making vaccinations more convenient and convincing those who are hesitant to get the shots.
Biden also said he’s aiming for 160 million Americans to be fully vaccinated by Independence Day – an increase of 54 million over the current total. That figure will be easier to reach once adolescents ages 12-15 become eligible, and the president said his administration will be “ready to move immediately’’ once the FDA grants authorization for those inoculations, which could happen as early as next week.