Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is set to testify publicly before a congressional subcommittee on Tuesday regarding his management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state’s nursing homes in 2020. Members of the Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic issued a report prior to Cuomo’s testimony, accusing him of concealing mistakes that jeopardized nursing home residents.
U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup, the Ohio Republican who heads the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, criticized the Cuomo Administration for putting New York’s most vulnerable population at risk of COVID-19 exposure.
In response, Cuomo’s spokesperson, Rich Azzopardi, denounced the committee’s investigation as a waste of taxpayer money, calling it a diversion from former President Trump’s pandemic leadership failures.
Cuomo resigned from office in August 2021 amidst sexual harassment allegations that he denies.
Initially praised for his handling of the early months of the pandemic, Cuomo’s reputation suffered following revelations that his administration underreported the number of deaths in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Critics have also focused on a directive issued in March 2020, which initially prevented nursing homes from turning away COVID-19 patients. The directive aimed to ease hospitals’ burden of caring for patients who no longer required hospitalization.
Over 9,000 recovering COVID-19 patients were transferred from hospitals to nursing homes under this directive, which was later revoked due to concerns that it may have contributed to outbreaks.
The total number of COVID-19 deaths among long-term care residents in New York was much higher than initially disclosed, with approximately 15,000 fatalities.
According to the congressional committee, Cuomo and his top aides endorsed the directive and then attempted to shift blame by commissioning a report downplaying its impact.
Former Cuomo administration officials were interviewed as part of the investigation.
Cuomo had previously testified before the subcommittee in June behind closed doors.
In an opinion piece, Cuomo criticized the subcommittee for politicizing COVID-19 and accused them of deflecting attention from Trump’s pandemic response.
A state report commissioned by Cuomo’s successor, Governor Kathy Hochul, concluded that while the policies on nursing homes and COVID-19 were rushed and uncoordinated, they were based on the best available scientific knowledge at the time.
