Cuomo to Face Congress on COVID Nursing Home Policies
Former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo set to testify before congressional subcommittee on his COVID-19 nursing home policies. Republicans accuse Cuomo of a "cover up," while his team denies wrongdoing.
Andrew Cuomo, former Governor of New York, is scheduled to provide public testimony before a congressional subcommittee on September 11, 2024. The hearing will focus on his administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes during the early stages of the outbreak in 2020.
The Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic has released a report criticizing Cuomo's actions. U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, the subcommittee chair, stated, "The Cuomo Administration is responsible for recklessly exposing New York's most vulnerable population to COVID-19."
In response, Cuomo's spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, dismissed the report as a "sloppy, half baked partisan screed" lacking evidence to support its conclusions. He accused the committee of wasting taxpayer money on an investigation that found no wrongdoing.
The controversy centers on a directive issued in March 2020, which initially prevented nursing homes from refusing patients based solely on their COVID-19 status. This policy, aimed at preventing hospital overcrowding, resulted in over 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients being transferred to nursing homes.
Critics argue this decision may have accelerated outbreaks in these facilities. The subcommittee claims Cuomo and his top aides approved the directive and later attempted to deflect blame through an unscientific report.
Cuomo, who resigned in August 2021 amid unrelated allegations, has defended his actions. In a recent article, he accused the subcommittee of politicizing the pandemic response and attempting to shift attention from former President Trump's handling of the crisis.
"The GOP strategy was, and still is, to fabricate theories to blame the states and governors for the COVID deaths."
It's worth noting that Cuomo initially gained national recognition for his daily COVID-19 briefings during the early months of the pandemic. However, his reputation suffered following revelations about incomplete reporting of nursing home deaths. The total number of COVID-19 fatalities among long-term care residents in New York exceeded 15,000, significantly higher than initially disclosed.
A state report commissioned by Cuomo's successor, Governor Kathy Hochul, concluded that while the nursing home policies were "rushed and uncoordinated," they were based on the best available scientific understanding at the time.
As the hearing approaches, it's important to remember that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to over 1 million deaths in the United States as of 2024. The controversy surrounding Cuomo's actions highlights the ongoing debate about pandemic response strategies and accountability in times of crisis.
