A congressional subcommittee has criticized former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration for its handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes. Released ahead of Cuomo’s scheduled testimony in Washington, D.C., the report scrutinizes the controversial March 25, 2020, order that required nursing homes to admit patients regardless of their COVID-19 status.
The report suggests Cuomo and his aides were aware of the political risks associated with the policy and altered how nursing home deaths were reported. Federal health officials, including Seema Verma and Dr. Deborah Birx, also condemned the policy, claiming it led to unnecessary deaths.
Cuomo, set to testify on Tuesday, has continued to defend the order, asserting that federal officials approved it. However, the report highlights discrepancies between New York’s directive and federal guidelines, further intensifying scrutiny of his administration’s pandemic response.
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