ALBANY — A report released Thursday by Attorney General Letitia James accuses the Cuomo administration of undercounting COVID nursing home deaths by as much as 50%.
James’ office conducted a months-long investigation into the state’s handling of elder care facilities during the pandemic and how nursing homes failed to protect vulnerable seniors from the deadly virus.
“As the pandemic and our investigations continue, it is imperative that we understand why the residents of nursing homes in New York unnecessarily suffered at such an alarming rate,” James said in a statement. “While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves and to spur increased action to protect our most vulnerable residents.”
Gov. Cuomo and the state Health Department have faced intense criticism over how the state has reported COVID deaths of nursing home residents.
Related Story: Janice Dean emotional over report NY undercounted COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes: ‘Maybe the angels won’
A July report issued by the state absolved the administration and laid blame for the more than 8,500 deaths of seniors on staffers who unwittingly infected residents.
But a controversial March mandate requiring facilities to accept COVID-positive patients may have increased the risk of others at the congregate facilities contracting the virus, the Attorney General’s report found.
James’ investigation, which began after the governor asked the AG to set up a hotline to receive complaints about nursing homes failing to keep in touch with family members as in-person visits were banned, found that nursing home residents who died from COVID-19 after being transferred to hospitals have not been included in the official state count.
It also found that preliminary data also “reflects apparent underreporting” to the state by some nursing homes of resident deaths occurring in facilities as well.
New York’s AG office asked 62 nursing homes, 10% of the total facilities in the state, for information about on-site and in-hospital deaths from COVID-19.
Using the data from those facilities, investigators compared the number of in-facility deaths found to those publicized by the state Department of Health as well as the total deaths compared to those made public by the state
In one example, one unnamed nursing home reported five confirmed and six presumed COVID-19 deaths at the facility as of August 3 to the state.
However, the facility reported a total of 27 coronavirus deaths and 13 hospital deaths — a discrepancy of 29 deaths — to the AG’s office.
In addition to the dramatic undercounting of deaths, the investigation found many nursing homes failed to comply with safety protocols and put residents at risk of infection.
Some sites failed to properly isolate residents who tested positive for COVID-19 or adequately screen or test employees for the virus. Others demanded that sick employees continue to work and care for residents or face retaliation or termination.
The report also found operators failed to train employees in infection control protocol or PPE.
Nursing homes that had lower staffing ratings before the pandemic began also reported higher fatality rates, the report found.
James’ office will continue to investigate allegations, including a focus on practices at more than 20 nursing homes where reported conduct “presented particular concern.”
“Nursing homes residents and workers deserve to live and work in safe environments, and I will continue to work hard to safeguard this basic right during this precarious time,” James said.
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I can not understand why anyone would vote for ANY dishonorable, dishonest. destructive, unethical, self-serving Democrat politician?
It is like these fools can’t wait to be led to slaughter.
Or is it that the mindset that makes one a Democrat voter is so deranged that they are no smarter than sheep?
Yep, Yep, Yep……. just lead me where you want me to go and tell me a story. 😯
Tammany Hall still holds strong from back in the day. Even then these power hungry Dem’s were finding ways to control their power and keep us at odds with one another. You know I didn’t vote for this guy, nor his father.
Sheep have to be led. These people are looking at the carnage and stampeding towards it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME
So What? Like Cuomo is going to pay any price for what, at the very least, he allowed to happen if not specifically responsible by forcing the Elderly Care facilities to take on Covid patients. These states that keep voting in these same A$$ Hats deserve everything that happens to them. With the exception of the few who do try and vote the sickness out I have little sympathy for the people that live in these places.
Unfortunately, that’s true. NO AMOUNT of evidence, will be ever used to criminally hold him accountable..
Things must really be bad when a Democrat turns against another Democrat. There is the possibility that this is all for show for public consumption and nothing will actually be done.
James has her own political ambitions. Andrew the Second Shameless One Cuomo is in her way.
Although I would not dismiss what she says, it sounds like someone has her eye on the governorship.
So killing 15 or 16 thousand old people is how you sell books and win Emmy’s. Probably did not hurt for collecting taxes on their retirement accounts either.
What I read in this “news” article is, that Letitia James is trying to shift the blame for the needless deaths of the elderly in the nursing homes in NY State, from Governor Cuomo to the owners and managers of the nursing homes. Why if the owners and managers had just done their jobs properly, everything would have been just fine. At least, that’s the way I read it. Perhaps I’m mistaken, but I know that these career democrat politicians cover each others backsides.
Nothing will happen! He will just blame Trump
Or deblasio, or everyone else in the NY government.. AND LIKELY WILL get away with it.
Funny how the details of Democrat missteps are always forthcoming right after the election.
Just like the 0bama administration would always report great numbers at the scheduled announcement, then quietly adjust them–always in the wrong direction–a week or two later.
I feel extremely sorry for those that died as a result of Cuomo’s stupidity. But it makes me wonder how many of those dead voted in the election?
IMO, all of them, and ALL for biden!
Janice Dean (Fox News) is a Hero for using her voice about this disgraceful situation involving Cuomo and the seniors and their families he so negatively affected (what’s worse than politics that result in death?!) I hope they continue to go after him; I enjoy seeing him come unhinged when confronted. He’s so in love with himself he can’t see straight and has become a joke.