NY Attorney General: State Vastly Underreported COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths

israelntionalnews and CrownHeights.info

A damning report from New York Attorney General Letitia James released Thursday alleges that the state health department may have undercounted the number of deaths from the coronavirus at nursing homes by as much as 50%.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been under fire for months after he requiring nursing homes to accept coronavirus patients from hospitals in March. The policy which was responsible according to many critics as unsafely exposing the vulnerable elderly people to the disease. After a severe backlash, the order was rescinded in May.

According to official numbers, over 8,500 residents of nursing homes and other assisted living facilities died from the coronavirus, about one-quarter of the 42,000 deaths the disease has caused in New York State. However, critics have contended that the true number may be much higher, as the state has consistently refused to provide numbers on nursing home residents who died after being transferred to hospitals.

“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,” Attorney General 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. 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.”