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Reed And Assembly GOP Leader React To NYS Health Dept Statement

July 6, 2020

From the summary of today’s NYS Health Dept:

In an effort to learn for the future from the data now available from the earliest days of the first in a century pandemic that swept across the globe and into the United States, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) conducted an in-depth analysis of self-reported nursing home data that finds that COVID-19 fatalities in nursing homes were related to infected nursing home staff.
View the full report here.

From Congressman Tom Reed:
This is a blatant attempt by Governor Cuomo to sidestep an ounce of accountability.

As we’ve said all along, an independent investigation is needed to fully evaluate the impact of New York’s disastrous nursing home policies. Justice is not served when the individuals who were responsible for the state’s deadly edicts are reviewing their own conduct.

Placing the blame squarely on the staff who care for our grandparents — when the state knowingly created COVID hotspots by forcing homes to accept COVID-positive patients — is a slap in the face to those who lost a loved one. Even a cursory review of ADMA’s dire warning to New York State makes it clear what really contributed to New York’s horrific death toll.

From Assembly GOP Leader Will Barlay;

“For months, the Cuomo administration and State Department of Health (DOH) have deflected accountability for the thousands of lives lost to COVID-19 in New York’s nursing homes. To the surprise of absolutely no one, they have now presented a report that continues to promote their pass-the-buck narrative.

While defending the now-infamous DOH order of March 25, which required nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients, today’s findings attribute the spread of the virus to federal guidance, nursing home staff, a lack of testing, visitors and family members.

State health officials have a responsibility to analyze and learn from the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better prepare for future crises. However, in no way does this report replace the need for a full, public accounting and independent investigation into what happened in nursing homes and adult care facilities across the state.

For months, members of the Assembly Minority Conference have called for hearings on the state’s response to the COVID outbreak in nursing homes. It’s time our colleagues in the Assembly and Senate majorities put a date on the calendar and get these under way.

If the DOH report is accurate, I’m sure they will appreciate an opportunity to discuss it with state lawmakers and independent investigators.”


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