Gov. Andrew
Cuomo says the state should have been more transparent about nursing home deaths
from the coronavirus, but says there is no cover-up.
The governor says not releasing information faster on nursing homes was a “mistake,”
but he did not apologize at Friday’s press conference.
New York Attorney General Letitia James says the state’s nursing home death
toll was nearly 15,000; a number far greater than the 8,500 originally reported
by the governor’s office.
Cuomo says no deaths were unreported, but those who were in nursing homes but
died in a hospital were not included in the original data.
A top aide to Gov. Cuomo, however, admitted that the state “froze” in release
the full count of fatalities in nursing homes during the summer out of fear
that former President Donald Trump would use it for a political investigation.
There is now renewed scrutiny regarding the state’s policy to send nearly
10,000 recovering coronavirus patients in New York from hospitals to nursing
homes.
New York State Health Department Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker says that the
state made the “right public health decision at the time.” He says faced with
the same facts, they would make the same decisions.
There are now questions around
whether state legislators will strip Cuomo of emergency executive powers he was
granted at the start of the pandemic.
Legislators on
both sides of the aisle, like State Sen. Sue Serino who represents the 41st
District, are still not satisfied with Cuomo’s words.
“I’m
shocked,” Serino, a Republican, says. “You know, I had family members that were
texting me and saying ‘I can’t believe he’s not apologizing and he’s pointing
the blame.’ And it was just terrible.”
The governor also proposed a series of nursing home
reforms in the budget, including more transparency, holding operators
accountable for misconduct and prioritizing patient care over profit.
The FBI and US Attorney’s Officer in Brooklyn are investigating.