Cuomo addresses COVID-19 nursing home controversy
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo took some blame for a scandal surrounding the state's nursing's homes on Monday, after a state report that COVID-19 deaths among them were undercounted by as much as half.
Cuomo acknowledged his office should not have withheld that data from state lawmakers, but fell short of issuing an apology.
"We should've provided more information faster. We were too focused on doing the job and addressing the crisis of the moment, and we did not do a good enough job in providing information. I take total responsibility for that."
More than 15,000 people in New York's nursing homes and long term care facilities have died from COVID-19.
But the state has only reported 8,500 nursing home deaths as recently as last month.
The numbers did not account for residents who died in hospitals rather than nursing home facilities.
On Monday Cuomo acknowledged that the media, state lawmakers and the U.S. Department of Justice had all requested the full numbers as early as last summer, but said that his office prioritized the DOJ inquiry first, leaving the other requests unanswered.
It all means new trouble for Cuomo, who despite winning national attention for his early transparency about New York's COVID-19 crisis, has been criticized for his COVID-19 response in nursing homes since last spring.
In response to the controversy, Democrat and Republican lawmakers said last week they are reconsidering granting Cuomo emergency powers to contend with the pandemic.
