NEW YORK — The management of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo COVID in nursing homes is under scrutiny Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Republican lawmakers on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic are asking him specifically about the situation. state guidelines on nursing homes at the start of the pandemic.
On March 25, 2020, New York required nursing homes to admit patients who tested positive for COVID. Cuomo’s administration was accused of underreporting deaths in nursing homesbut the state later acknowledged that at least 15,000 long-term care residents had died during the pandemic.
The former governor entered the building with a wave Tuesday, intending to defend himself against claims that the nursing home directive led to unnecessary deaths. As he entered, he was asked if he had anything to say to the families of the deceased. He called the situation a “tragic loss.”
“There was a time in this country where 50 percent of deaths were in nursing homes. So it was a national tragedy, and that’s what we have to learn from it,” he said.
Cuomo was subpoenaed in March then agreed to the interview in April. The subcommittee also conducted interviews with other members of his administration, including former state officials. Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker.
Cuomo’s opening statement on the COVID pandemic
Cuomo shared a transcript of his opening statement Tuesday morning, ahead of his appearance on Capitol Hill.
In his prepared testimony, he disputes the premise that New York did anything wrong, insisting that the state followed guidelines issued by the federal government. He also claims that Democratic states were investigated, but red states, like Kentucky, Utah, Arizona and Indiana, which issued the same guidelines, did not. not been.
Cuomo says criticism of his administration was politicized under former President Donald Trump and says the Justice Department unfairly targeted Democratic-led states in its investigation.
“To distract from their own culpability and cover their tracks, four years ago the Republican administration made numerous accusations and called for investigations into New York’s response to COVID: these investigations have been completed” , Cuomo’s opening statement read in part. “The Department of Justice – on three occasions – the Manhattan District Attorney, the New York Attorney General,…
