Though Florida and the state of New York have relatively the same population, According to Dr. Marc Siegel there have been over 5,000 deaths in New York nursing homes from the Coronavirus since March 1, 2020, compared to only 1,669 deaths from the virus in Florida nursing homes.

Why the difference?

We know that the elderly and those with underlying health issues (often the same) are the ones most vulnerable to the virus.

According to Dr. Marc Siegel, this is what happens in Florida:

Lakeview is a great example of a nursing home that is taking seriously Gov. Ron Desantis’s edict that these facilities are “ground zero” for COVID-19. Gilda Anderson, Lakeview’s administrator told me in an interview that “we screen our staff daily prior to entering the building, including taking their temperatures. Our staff … are wearing the required PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and we’re enforcing all infection control protocols.”

Dr. Zelcer told me that he receives a phone call notifying him whenever a patient in his mother’s nursing home tests positive for COVID-19. The patient is then immediately isolated and the concerned staff is on the phone with an infectious disease specialist at Delray Medical Center, where the patient is frequently transferred.

READ: Dr. Marc Siegel: Coronavirus and nursing homes — Florida sets example with these steps to protect elderly

New York had taken a slightly different approach. The New York Post writes:

Gov. Cuomo (New York Governor) doubled down Sunday on the state’s controversial directive ordering nursing homes to admit COVID-19 patients.

The governor — who himself has described nursing homes as a “feeding frenzy’’ for the deadly coronavirus — said that the facilities can’t challenge a state regulation forcing them to admit patients with the contagion. — “Cuomo doubles down on ordering nursing homes to admit coronavirus patients,” April 26, 2020

Fortunately, Gov. Cuomo finally came to his senses on May 10, 2020. READ: Andrew Cuomo FINALLY Reverses Order Forcing Nursing Homes To Take COVID Patients, Demands Testing For Care Workers

But some report sending Coronavirus patients to nursing homes was happening in other states as well:

Still digging but so far my team has been able to determine:
NY
NJ
PA
MI
CA
All had policies ordering nursing homes to accept infected coronavirus patients

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) May 11, 2020