Cuomo administration underreported nursing home Covid deaths by up to 50%, NY attorney general says
A view of a patient being wheeled out of a nursing home in Flushing Queens New York USA during coronavirus pandemic on April 22, 2020.
John Nacion | NurPhoto | Getty Images
The New York Department of Health underreported Covid deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50%, according to a new report published Thursday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The 76-page report comes after a months-long investigation by the attorney general’s office into allegations that nursing homes failed to follow Covid safety protocols.
The investigation found that the number of Covid deaths among nursing home residents in some facilities rose by more than 50% when including residents who died in the hospital.
“As the pandemic and our investigations continue, it is imperative that we understand why the residents of nursing homes in New York unnecessarily suffered at such an alarming rate,” James said in a statement. “While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves and to spur increased action to protect our most vulnerable residents.”
This is breaking news. Check back here for updates.
