One side effect of the Virginia-wide vaccine mandates for healthcare workers seems to be stories like this one, which may prompt Bedford County’s Board of Supervisors to sell the Bedford County Nursing Home.
Established as the County Poor Farm in 1831, it is one of the few county-owned nursing facilities in Virginia. It even traces its roots back to before Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other features of America’s social safety net were established. However, since the January U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld a Biden administration mandate that vaccinations against COVID-19 be required for all healthcare employees at facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funds. Bedford County’s statement cited that the ruling goes against the supervisors’ opposition to mandates and prompted the board to find a buyer for the nursing home.
According to Cardinal News, the statement reads:
“With the ever-increasing regulatory environment surrounding nursing homes, the responsibility to make wise decisions in this area is best addressed by industry experts who specialize in healthcare compliance, rather than local government officials who do not have this expertise. This has always been a challenge, but the COVID-19 pandemic enhanced the [b]oard’s curiosity to explore other options. The healthcare employee COVID-19 vaccine mandate, as reaffirmed by the United States Supreme Court, is contrary to the positions of all [b]oard members and has further complicated uniformity with how employees are treated across all departments of County government.”
The Bedford County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a special meeting on Monday to decide the fate of the nursing home. What other side effects will these reckless mandates have on other people in this country?