Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego falsely claimed on MSNBC last Friday that a major hospital in the metro area requested refrigerated trucks due to morgue space reaching its capacity.
Phoenix Mayor Gallego says Maricopa Co. has requested refrigerated trucks because one health system in the region has run out of morgue beds. pic.twitter.com/uCeHfzjjLk
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 10, 2020
“[The Maricopa County Department of Health] are going to be getting refrigerated trucks because the Abrazo health care system has run out of morgue beds,” Gallego said.
“You are out of morgue space?” host Chuck Todd responded.
“The Abrazo health care system has run out of morgue space and the county is getting refrigerated trucks,” Gallego affirmed.
Gallego, a Democrat, said she had wished Arizona mayors had been given greater authority to act quicker. She also claimed that some of her constituents had been waiting eight hours for a coronavirus test in 100 degree heat.
The Abrazo health care system released a statement later the day, clarifying that, “Abrazo hospitals currently have adequate morgue space.”
However, Abrazo also added that they did order refrigerated trucks - but not because of a lack of morgue space.
"Abrazo hospitals currently have adequate morgue space...." Abrazo statement after @MayorGallego told national and local outlets that they ordered refrigerated trucks for COVID-19 deaths. The hospital system said they did it as a proactive approach in case it is needed #azfamily pic.twitter.com/GeDNa8G1px
— David Caltabiano (@DavidCaltabiano) July 10, 2020
“The state has requested that hospitals implement their emergency plans. Part of activating our plan includes the ability to handle overflow morgue capacity if needed. Abrazo has taken a proactive approach by ordering refrigerated storage in the event it may be needed during a surge of COVID patients. At this point it is not needed,” Keith Jones, Communications Manager of Abrazo Health, said in the statement.
Gallego has also claimed that the federal government has denied her funding requests for a large-scale COVID testing site in Phoenix. According to Phoenix Councilman Sal DiCiccio, Phoenix has actually received 293 million dollars in federal aid.
It's unfortunate PHX is picking a fight during a crisis with the fed govt when they've done so much to help us. Fact: the feds sent PHX $293 million for COVID. PHX squandered it. Very little was used for testing but MILLIONS went to hand outs for arts & liberal activist groups. pic.twitter.com/RMAPNgfgss
— Sal DiCiccio (@Sal_DiCiccio) July 8, 2020
DiCiccio claims that “very little was used for testing by MILLIONS went to hand outs for arts [and] liberal activist groups”.