New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told a news conference on Monday that he had made a “mistake” by not providing information about it. nursing home deaths of COVID-19 on time. But Cuomo went on to defend his and his administration’s handling of the crisis, saying he had his best health adviser, Dr. Howard Zucker, with ‘my mother’s care’ will trust.
Cuomo has long been criticized for handling the administration of disclosing data on deaths due to COVID-19 in nursing homes, which increased last week when one of his top assistants admitted to worrying about data would be ‘used against us’.
In recent weeks, the state has been forced to admit that the death toll is nearly 15,000 residents in the nursing home. The state had earlier reported a death toll of 8,500 – a number that excluded residents who died after being taken to hospitals.
Asked if he apologized for handling the nursing home data, Cuomo on Monday acknowledged a delay in reporting some results.
“The void we created by not providing information was filled with skepticism and cynicism and conspiracy theories that fostered confusion … you are not providing the information, something will provide the information,” Cuomo said. “The gap we have created has made information possible in particular.”
Although Cuomo has been criticized by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers – some of whom have asked him to end his emergency power or even be prosecuted – he insisted Monday that members of the New York legislature and “top lawmakers” be told to prioritize. a federal investigation.
Lawmakers in the state and the Department of Justice both asked for information about deaths in nursing homes at the same time.
Top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa told Democratic lawmakers last week that the government “froze” because we were in a position where we were not sure what to give to the Department of Justice or what to give to you not and what we are starting to say is going to be used against us, and we were not sure if there would be an investigation. ‘
DeRosa’s comments were first reported by The New York Post.
In a long-questioned move, Cuomo on March 25 ordered patients with COVID-19 to be brought back to nursing homes rather than in hospitals. He later reversed the order.
Cuomo defended the move in accordance with federal guidelines, adding that at the time it was not the highest priority to have hospitals exceeded. Cuomo on Monday insisted there had been a major distortion around the March 25 memo, saying patients are only received at nursing homes if a given home confirms they have the ability to accept it.
Of the 613 nursing homes in New York, Cuomo said 365 received a patient from a hospital. Of the 365, Cuomo said 98% already had COVID-19 in their facilities.
“COVID did not come into the nursing homes of people coming out of hospitals,” Cuomo said Monday. “COVID came into nursing homes through staff walking into nursing homes.”
Meanwhile, Cuomo announced Monday that the New York City Metro system will now only be closed from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., beginning Feb. 22. At the height of the pandemic in March, Cuomo announced that the famous New York City 24-hour subway system would shut down from 1 a.m. to 5 p.m. for deep-seated cleaning of the subway.
As the city began to ease COVID restrictions, many people wondered how much the city could reopen without a 24-hour subway service. Furthermore, there was an increase in crime because the trains were sparsely populated, including an alleged knife stick that left two dead and two others wounded in the A train on Friday.
Cuomo also said that the first case of the South African variant of COVID-19 was detected in a hospital in New York.