Families criticize Cuomo over coronavirus in NY nursing homes

NEW YORK - Governor Andrew Cuomo is saying he never ordered nursing homes in NY to readmit patients who were recovering from COVID-19, which is infuriating families who lost loved ones to the virus.

Queens State Assembly Member Ron Kim says Cuomo is continuing to deny that he issued an order to nursing homes in late March to accept recovering COVID-19 patients. The directive from the state Health Department was meant to free up hospital beds.

Over 6,000 nursing home patients in the state died from COVID-19, but critics say the number might actually be closer to 12,000.

• Cuomo brushes back report of care home death undercount

The state Health Department reversed the policy in early May.

“It is beyond infuriating and at times depressing and demoralizing to see the head of the state denying the basic facts,” Kim, who lost his uncle to COVID-19, said. 

While promoting his new book, Cuomo says nursing homes were never forced to accept recovering patients in order to free up hospital beds and that he did the best he could to save the elderly.

“I think everyone, no matter what party you belong to, can understand the type of pressure he was in and the mistakes he made but the fact that he’s covering it up and denying because he wants to sell more books because it doesn’t fit the narrative is ridiculous,” Kim said.