When inclement weather forced a New Year’s Eve event in Phoenix to move indoors, the CEO of an Arizona-based COVID-19 testing company took to social media to belittle event organizers and their “careless, super spreader events.”
In fact, Embry Health’s CEO Raymond Embry IV questioned why organizers of NYE Block Party and other social events are “not forced to mandate rapid point of event covid-19 testing.” He complained that such events would “crush testing infrastructure” and causing delays for those needing to be tested.
Aside from the obvious financial conflict of interest inherent in Embrey’s tweet, many who read his comments pushed back, noting that organizers of the NYE Block Party had advised guests in advance that proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test was required to attend the event once it was moved inside.
The organizers even provided complimentary rapid COVID-19 tests at the door, although it is unclear if the test kits were from Embry Health.
But Embry continued to criticize the fact there is no mandate forcing Arizonans to undergo COVID-19 testing in order to participate in certain segments of the economy.
On Jan. 2, he announced that Embry Health sites were facing “unprecedented demand” at a time his company is experiencing the same staffing challenges as other health care providers across Arizona. Embry announced an emergency corporate order approving triple-time pay for employees at Embry Health’s five busiest test sites across Maricopa County.
There is another solution, Embry suggested. He said he would be asking Gov. Doug Ducey to mobilize members of the Arizona National Guard to help Embry Health, a for-profit company that operates “the widest network of COVID-19 test locations in the state of Arizona,” according to the company website.
The website also promotes the fact the company offers free PCR COVID testing to the public, and has joined with Sonora Quest Laboratories in an effort to ensure Arizonans receive accurate test results in 2 to 3 days. But although testing is free to individuals, the company does bill insurance companies or the Health Resources and Services Administration if the individual is uninsured.
As of press time neither Embry nor Embry Health had posted the request supposedly being sent to Ducey. The Governor’s Office has not commented on the matter.
Embry Health would likely gain a financial benefit from free National Guard assistance, a fact not lost on some.
“@rembry, you should donate your profits to workers unemployed in events industry,” tweeted Merissa Hamilton, a @Freedomworks ambassador.
Over the weekend, @rembry issued a call to action to FORCE his tests to be mandatory to participate in the economy
AZ Dems are fully on board as the pro-tyranny caucus https://t.co/mQow3u1uar pic.twitter.com/6vnX5zsU8k
— Merissa Hamilton (@merissahamilton) January 3, 2022