Washington governor to Idaho officials: 'Stop clogging up my hospitals'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Last edited Thu Sep 23, 2021, 12:04 AM - Edit history (1)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) criticized neighboring Idaho's leadership late last week, saying that Idaho Gov. Brad Little's (R) policies were "clogging up" Washington's hospitals.

"Today in my state, Washington citizens in many cases cannot get heart surgery, cannot get cancer surgery that they need, because we are having to take too many people of unvaccinated nature and unmasked, many of whom come from Idaho, and that's just maddening frankly," Inslee said in an MSNBC appearance on Friday.

"So we are calling for Idaho and the leaders there to lead and take some commonsense measures," Inslee continued. "I'm disappointed the governor of Idaho has spent more time trying to reduce protection by reducing vaccine usage instead of concentrating on this, and then clogging up my hospitals."

Data shows hospital beds were at 77 percent capacity in Washington last week.

Although Inslee has issued mask mandates in particular situations, Little has yet to unveil such requirements. But Inslee pointed to a broader political issue, noting in his interview that "it's not just Idaho." Instead, Inslee criticized the whole of the GOP.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/washington-governor-to-idaho-officials-stop-clogging-up-my-hospitals/ar-AAOHVZB

On edit: Butthurt Gov. Little fires back.

Link to tweet

[BradAllison]

1. Idaho is a useless state.

It and Wyoming provide nothing but Republicans and disease.

[maxsolomon]

7. Useless but gorgeous.

It's a really great place to vacation - hot springs everywhere, eye-bugging mountains. I saw the total solar eclipse there, north of Boise.

Not that I'll be heading there any time soon.

[BradAllison]

8. That and potatoes. n/m

[maxsolomon]

10. Oddly, WA produces more potatoes than ID

Theirs are just more famous.

[KewlKat]

14. This!!!

[Bucky]

37. Maybe Washington produces more potatoes, but...

Idahoans, to their credit, actually elect them to public office.

[calimary]

19. I don't care HOW "beautiful" they are.

I won’t be going there or spending ANY money to prop up the economy there. ANY red state gets the same reaction and response from me.

[Shrike47]

25. South and southwestern Idaho are so ugly it hurts.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. I just wish hospitals would start turning away the unvaccinated.

Don't admit them if they are showing up with Covid. And if they're admitted for anything else, a vaccination to be administered immediately.

[Jilly_in_VA]

3. Set up a MASH tent in the parking lot

Let the unvaccinated staff tend to them. Vaccinated staff tend to regular and vaccinated patients inside. And I concur with your suggestion about unvaccinated patients admitted for anything else...give them a first dose immediately and place them in isolation.

[leftieNanner]

13. I do too - the only problem is

When a patient arrives in an ambulance, gasping for air, oxygen at 75, and in need of immediate care,

Who is going to stop and ask to see the patient's vaccine card?

I don't know the answer to this.

[BidenRocks]

15. ERs do quick blood work

As a routine if thiere is uncertainty.
A rapid covid test will allow an appropriate triage.
Don't you agree?

[leftieNanner]

16. Good Thinking nt

[Lancero]

30. Can the test differentiate between unvaccinated infections and breakthrough infections?

If we're going to be using a covid test to somehow determine vaccination status, are those suffering from breakthrough infections considered acceptable losses?

[mahina]

22. Caution

Lori Garrett shared in her podcast with Andy Slavitt that she seeing more and more hostility against unvaccinated people and that we just cannot be divided or we’ll not get through this. The only way through is together. We have to still have aloha in our hearts for them and hold the vision of a united healthy country again. I know it’s asking a lot

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

31. Oh, yes. Be tolerant and loving to people who essentially are content to

deliberately spread a potentially fatal disease. I seem to be missing something.

I know, let's encourage drunk people to drive. That makes as much sense as the other.

[mahina]

33. Cheers

[Lancero]

27. How would that work out, when kids under 12 are legally not allowed access to the vaccine?

Are they to be turned away?

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

34. No, of course not.

But the adults should be. And pretty soon all those over the age of 12, although that's complicated by the fact that the 12-18 year olds generally need parental permission for the vaccine, and if the parent refuses to give permission, the kid is not at fault. But even then, if the parent has refused, then gosh, too bad.

[Crunchy Frog]

4. Wish he would do more than just talk.

Actually prioritize the needs of his own state residents over covidiots from Idaho.

[caraher]

5. I wonder how much of that is out of his hands

I don't know - can a Washington hospital turn away a patient because they have COVID and are from Idaho? Can the governor order them to do so? I'm not sure what cover there is in laws or codes of ethics for refusal to treat such people (even though I'm 100% behind the sentiment that the voluntarily unvaccinated should stay home and drink ivermectin rather than running for salvation to a medical system whose counsel they chose to defy).

[Crunchy Frog]

6. I'm not saying don't treat them.

I'm saying treat cancer and heart patients from Washington State first. Make them the higher priority.

If he doesn't have any ability to effect policy, then I'm not sure what he accomplishes with complaining.

[caraher]

11. But when the hospital is jammed...

it seems that prioritizing WA cancer and heart patients amounts to turning the covidiots away.

I agree that we should do that but I suspect there are laws and policies that complicate matters

[BidenRocks]

18. Got Insurance? Nt

[maxsolomon]

9. I don't believe they can or will turn away patients unless their ER beds are full.

The 77% capacity # is likely misleading; the Spokane-area hospitals are stuffed to the gills. More room in the Puget Sound hospitals, although we have our own Covid Surge to deal with, too, from rural counties like Yakima.

[Bleacher Creature]

12. Build a wall!!! NT

[MsLeopard]

17. LOL!!!

That really did make me LOL!

[Evolve Dammit]

20. Won't make a bit of difference. They are dug in and will just triple down. Cough in your face, etc.

[AnnaLee]

21. Make entire family vaccination a condition.

Perhaps Inslee should require vaccination of the entire family of anyone seeking to use Washington State medical facilities.

[Lancero]

28. Seems hard to implement, when kids under 12 aren't allowed access to the vaccine.

And how far back will that family search go? Really gonna slow things down if you need to confirm the entire family history, including the cousins you've maybe seen once in the past decade or two.

[roamer65]

23. Refuse to admit all willfully unvaccinated Idahoans if they have COVID-19 symptoms, Gov. Inslee.

If they do have the symptoms, tell them to go back to Idaho.

[patphil]

24. Idaho is one of 3 red states with less than 41% fully vaccinated.

It's a failure of leadership by the Republican party in that state. Idaho is pretty much a rural state, but even with that and a population of around 1.7 million, they've had a 7 day moving average of new cases over 1000 for the last 2 weeks.

It's amazing how the power of the Republicans in Idaho, and most other red states, can be seen as a measure of the number of sick, and dying from Covid.
Callous disregard for the suffering of people is a hallmark of Republican leadership these days.
As I've said many times, this amounts to deliberate, premeditated murder.

[Missn-Hitch]

26. Just posted to FB. My in-laws live in Idaho. I am in Washington.

[temporary311]

29. Can the state bar unvaxxinated patient transfers?

If they can, they should.

[Bucky]

36. No, they shouldn't

The problems created by barbarism is not solved with more barbarism.

[DBoon]

32. Can Washington bill Idaho for this?

I assume some public funds are spent taking care of unvaccinated Idaho residents. Can Washington recover these?

[Bucky]

35. Maybe they need to build a wall. Walls work, right?

Kidding. Part of what you get with the society is (1) people to help you with your problems when you get overwhelmed and (2) the responsibility of helping other people with their problems when they get overwhelmed.

It's too bad some people don't believe in society, even when they benefit from it.

I don't hate Idaho like some in this thread, but it needs to do better.

[Bucky]

38. I love Governor Little's clap back at Governor Inslee 😆

He points out that Spokane also has low rate of vaccination.

Essentially his "counterpunch" is: "Hey, mister, there are people in the Republican part of your state that are being as stupid and irresponsible as we are."

Touché, sir