On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Cuomo Primetime,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said that New York “is one of the best cases in the nation for the number of deaths in nursing homes” but that “we still have to find out how to do a better job if this virus comes back in a second wave.”
Cuomo said, “The nursing homes were the most tragic situation. You had senior citizens, they were the most vulnerable to this COVID virus. They were in a congregate setting. And we lost lives all across the country in nursing homes, there is no doubt, and we have to figure out how to do it better the next time. Because there will be a next time, either a second wave or another disease. And if it is a disease that preys on the old and the weak, it’s going to go to the nursing homes and the rehab centers. New York is one of the best cases in the nation for the number of deaths in nursing homes. The New York Times did a report and said we were 35th out of 50 states. We did a report in the state that we’re going to issue that says we’re 37 out of 50 states. So, comparative to the other states, we did well. Because it is a national crisis. But it’s false hope. We lost a tremendous amount of senior citizens. In this state, about 38% of the deaths were senior citizens. Now, we knew that the vulnerable population was senior citizens. But we still have to find out how to do a better job if this virus comes back in a second wave.”
He added, “The operators have very strict laws in this state. And if they violated the law, they’re going to be held fully accountable. We have an ongoing investigation now with the department of health and the attorney general to make sure every operator was following the law during this crisis.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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