Andrew Cuomo Criticized for Handling of Nursing Home Deaths During COVID-19 Pandemic

Criticism of Cuomo's COVID-19 Nursing Home Policy

• 🎯 Mayoral candidates are uniting to criticize former Governor Andrew Cuomo's handling of nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 💔 At least five candidates met with the family of a man who died from COVID-19 after contracting it in a nursing home.

The State Directive and Its Impact

• 🏥 In April 2020, a state directive ordered nursing homes to readmit patients recovering from COVID-19 to free up hospital beds.
• ⚠️ This directive is blamed by some, including the family of 89-year-old Norman Arbini, for spreading the virus within nursing homes.
• 🗣️ Peter Arbini called the directive "the single dumbest thing anybody could have done at that time."

Cuomo's Defense and Data Suppression Allegations

• 📜 Governor Andrew Cuomo defended the directive, stating it followed federal guidance and that COVID-19 was already present in nursing homes.
• 📉 He rescinded the order after six weeks, during which over 12,000 nursing home residents died statewide.
• 📊 Critics, like former Cuomo aide Paul Francis, allege that Cuomo suppressed data for a year and took six weeks to stop the directive despite rising death tolls.

Cuomo's Response to Critics

• 🎤 Cuomo previously defended his administration's actions, stating that credible studies showed COVID-19 entered nursing homes through community spread and infected staff, not hospital readmissions.
• 🗣️ He characterized the criticism as an attempt to "rewrite history."

Ongoing Political Fallout

• 🗳️ The nursing home deaths continue to be a significant issue for Cuomo as he campaigns for mayor.
• 📺 Political ads, such as one featuring City Controller Brad Lander visiting Norman Arbini's grave, highlight the controversy.
• 💬 Assemblyman Ron Kim expressed that while families understand no one is perfect, the alleged cover-up of data and doubling down on bad policies were particularly upsetting.