Long-awaited data reveals that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration withheld thousands of confirmed and presumed Covid-19 deaths at long-term nursing facilities.
Attorney General Letitia James released the report that the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) undercounted at least 50% of coronavirus-related deaths in residential nursing homes.
Gov. Cuomo secretary, Melissa DeRosa is reportedly concerned about the Department of Justice’s preliminary inquiry into COVID deaths in New York nursing homes, and Donald Trump’s past tweets about the entire scandal during his Presidential campaign.
DeRosa claims the administration “froze” because they were unsure about what was being submitted to the DOJ and didn’t want to be held accountable for it.
The New York Post first reported the story, citing an exclusively obtained recording of the meeting.
Legislators pushed the Department of Health to release the complete data related to COVID-19 deaths in Democrat-led states, including New York, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Andrew Cuomo has been questioned for months about nursing home death tolls but swerved the topic and described it as a “political attack.”
“What I would say is everyone did the best they could. When I say the State Department of Health — as the report said — the State Department of Health followed federal guidance. So, if you think there was a mistake, then go talk to the federal government. It’s not about pointing fingers or blame. It’s that this became a political football right. Look, whether a person died in a hospital or died in a nursing home. It’s – People died. People died,” Governor Cuomo said during a press conference on January 29.
State legislators from both parties swiftly condemned Cuomo’s administration following DeRosa’s apology.
