Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blamed the federal government and the nursing homes for the coronavirus death toll in his state.
Cuomo suggested during a Monday press conference that he had been following federal guidance when he ordered nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients once they had been discharged from hospitals. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Chris Cuomo Asks If People Can Trust Data From Florida’s Governor)
WATCH:
Cuomo began by saying that many of the nursing homes already had documented cases of COVID-19 before any patients came in from hospitals.
“Fact. Of the 613 nursing homes, we have 613 nursing homes in the state, 365 received a person from a hospital. Of the 365 that received a person from this March 25th guidance, which was then superseded in May, 98% of those 365 already had COVID in their facility. COVID did not get into the nursing homes by people coming from hospitals,” he said.
Cuomo went on to blame staffers and visitors, saying that he had initially followed the available science that suggested the virus could only be spread by people who were showing symptoms.
“The COVID got into the nursing homes by staff walking into the nursing home when we didn’t even know we had COVID,” Cuomo continued. “COVID may have been brought into a nursing home because visitors brought it in and didn’t know they were contagious because the guidance was you can only be contagious if you have symptoms.”
Critics and family members were quick to attack Cuomo after he spoke, calling for more investigations into what really happened.
Gov Cuomo just blamed my uncle for dying of COVID in a nursing home and blamed my family for not being tough enough to deal with it.
— Ron T. Kim (@rontkim) February 15, 2021
I reiterate my call for @NYGovCuomo and his administration to be subpoenaed for all pertinent information. We need answers and grieving families deserve justice. Enough with the spin. https://t.co/dvVLPA4F1R
— Jessica Ramos (@jessicaramos) February 15, 2021
One these reporters in this presser should directly ask Governor Cuomo about Melissa DeRosa’s admission that they withheld nursing home death information to block a DOJ investigation.
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) February 15, 2021
.@NYGovCuomo currently blaming his nursing home deaths cover-up on a “toxic political environment”
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) February 15, 2021
The only “distortion” about this is coming out of @NYGovCuomo’s mouth.
— Janice Dean (@JaniceDean) February 15, 2021