Rep. Antonio Delgado, DN.Y., calls for an investigation into the handling of data in New York regarding coronavirus deaths in nursing homes.
Governor Andrew Cuomo and his administration have been heavily criticized for not reporting the numbers in full, after Cuomo gave orders to take in residents admitted with COVID-19. The setback over this policy, which was intended to free up space in hospitals, increased after a Cuomo assistant allegedly admitted that the administration withheld data from the Department of Justice.
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“Politics should never come before people’s lives. The governor’s secretary’s remarks are disturbing and warrant a full investigation,” Delgado tweeted Sunday. “Thousands of New Yorkers are losing family in nursing homes to COVID-19, a pain exacerbated by the inability to comfort their loved ones in their final hours. They deserve answers and accountability.”
Fox News contacted Cuomo’s office for their response to Delgado’s comments, but they did not immediately respond.
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Delgado’s tweet refers to Gov. Melissa DeRosa’s secretary, who allegedly said Cuomo’s government feared the data on COVID-19 deaths “could be used against us” by the Justice Department amid its federal investigation instituted against four states regarding nursing home deaths, including New York.
‘We were in a position where we were not sure whether what we would give to the Department of Justice, or what we would give to you, what we were starting to say, would be used against us while we were not. sure whether there will be an investigation, “DeRosa told lawmakers, according to the New York Post.
On Friday, DeRosa tried to clarify her comments, saying she “explains that when we received the DOJ investigation, we should temporarily set aside the Legislature’s request.”
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The Department of Justice sought information regarding the number of nursing home residents who died from COVID-19, and New York only released data on those who died while in nursing homes, not those in hospitals or elsewhere. .
A report by New York Attorney General Letitia James said in late January that the state Department of Health underreported as much as 50% of COVID-19’s deaths in nursing homes.
Fox News’ Vandana Rambaran contributed to this report.