LEGISLATOR MILLS CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO REPORTS OF MISLEADING COVID-19 DEATH COUNT AT NYS NURSING HOMES

Modified: February 2, 2021 11:01am

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Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Erie County Legislator John Mills is calling for an investigation by the New York State Legislature into reports of misleading COVID-19 death count at New York State nursing homes to determine who is responsible for the misreporting. As of January 18, 2021 New York State officially reported 8,671 deaths from COVID-19 in long-term-care facilities, the majority of which, 8,469 occurred in nursing homes.

In the beginning of the pandemic, Cuomo’s nursing home policy required nursing facilities to accept COVID-19 patients so long as the patients met conditions. Original policy was implemented to open up much needed hospital beds. After facing backlash for the decision, Cuomo reversed the policy and. In May, the governor amended the March order, prohibiting hospitals from discharging patients to nursing homes unless they tested negative for COVID-19.

The Department of Health only counted a death as a nursing home death if it occurred at the nursing home. The New York State Attorney General’s investigation found that the new policy excluded thousands of nursing home patient COVID-19 deaths that occurred in a hospital. The report showednursing home deaths may have been undercounted by as much as 50 percent by the Department of Health.

Legislator Mills said, “The public has the right to know factual information when it comes to a public health crisis. Important facts were intentionally left out of these reports and it cannot be tolerated or swept under the rug. This put people in danger and it even cost some people their lives. Without question, the New York State Legislature needs to conduct a full, bi-partisan investigation into these allegations. I will not stop advocating for the elderly in nursing homes and their loved ones.”