Ever since the coronavirus devastated the Life Care Center of Kirkland in the state of Washington in February, nursing homes have rapidly become the country’s deadliest hot zones. Harrowing scenes abound all throughout the country: residents dying left and right over a matter of days; staff falling ill as they plead for more personal protective equipment (PPE); bodies piled in a shed for want of space.

We need to recognize the sheer magnitude of this nursing home crisis. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) only recently required facilities to report cases and still hasn’t released any data, the latest estimates indicate that one-third of all coronavirus deaths have been workers and residents in the long-term-care sector. But this is certainly an undercount. States bearing the brunt of the pandemic are announcing much higher figures — and disturbing signs show this trend is accelerating.

In Connecticut, nearly 60 percent of all coronavirus fatalities have occurred in nursing homes. The proportion over the last week has shot up to 90 percent. Ranking among the wealthiest states as well as the most unequal, Connecticut presents a textbook case of austerity’s violent consequences. Thousands of vulnerable residents have been condemned to die in the wealthiest country in the world.