Massachusetts nursing home to begin accepting coronavirus patients and some people are sounding the alarm

A Massachusetts nursing home is set to begin accepting coronavirus patients as some people are sounding the alarm that it might lead to deaths among those most susceptible to the virus.

Willow Manor in Lowell announced on Tuesday that they would have a portion of their facility isolated in order to accept COVID-19 patients. Some staff members and residents will be dedicated to those patients and not intermix in order to prevent spread of the virus.

State Rep. Marc Lombardo criticized the move and called it "insanity" in a tweet.

"While we are restricting people from attending Church due to COVID concerns, MA is allowing long term care facilities like Willow Manor in Lowell to take in outside COVID patients," he tweeted.

"MA has nearly 7000 deaths already (65% of all MA deaths) in long term care facilities. Insanity," he added.

Lombardo said in a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders that he would seek a ban on coronavirus patients being sent to nursing homes.

"Given the vulnerability of the populations and the extremely high COVID death numbers to date, why on earth would we ever permit a long-term care facility to create a new COVID positive unit?" wrote Lombardo in the letter.

Willow Manor officials said that they were asked to open the facility to coronavirus patients because of a spike in hospitalizations.

"This new COVID unit will allow for proactive collaboration and seamless care coordination with local hospitals, as we are able to provide patients a safe environment for their continuum of care needs," said center executive director Monica Roman.

The families of the residents at the facility are worried.

"I can't think of a worse idea," said Darlene Torre, who has two relatives at Willow Manor. "This is putting the most vulnerable in harm's way."

Coronavirus patients at nursing homes became a flashpoint for lockdown debates when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent the afflicted to facilities that saw a spike in coronavirus cases and deaths. Despite facing massive public criticism, Cuomo has praised his pandemic response effort and written a book to glorify his policies.

Here's more about Cuomo's disastrous nursing home policy:

Cuomo deflects blame for nursing home coronavirus crisis on Trump adminwww.youtube.com