At an Oct. 25 rally, nurses accused the hospital of violating state-mandated nurse-to-patient rules, putting patients at risk and overworking nurses to the point of burn out.

County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody issued the revisions to the mandate, saying private providers need to step up to the plate.

The decision to close the maternity ward was announced April 1. The ward’s last planned day of operation will be May 30. 

The colossal coronavirus failure of 2020 is a clear sign that politics needs to be decoupled from a healthcare system meant to keep us safe.