- Two weeks ago, New York’s attorney general accused the Cuomo administration of “severely” undercounting coronavirus deaths related to nursing homes in order to avoid pushback on his policy last spring of sending hospitalized coronavirus patients back into nursing homes. A state guideline says nursing homes cannot refuse to take patients from hospitals solely because they have the coronavirus. States are increasingly turning to nursing homes to relieve the burden on hospitals and take in Covid-19 patients considered stable enough to be At the epicenter of the outbreak, New York issued a strict new rule last month: Nursing homes must readmit residents sent to hospitals with the coronavirus and accept new patients as long as they are deemed “medically stable.” California and New Jersey have also said that nursing homes should take in such patients. Homes are allowed to turn patients away if they claim they can’t care for them safely — but administrators say they worry that refusing patients could provoke regulatory scrutiny, and advocates say it could result in a loss of revenue.
In contrast to these states, Connecticut and Massachusetts designated certain facilities for Covid-19 patients alone — considered the safest way to free up hospital beds. - The governor’s explanation was quickly criticized by legislative leaders, who said they were not told that the delay was a result of a possible federal inquiry. They also questioned why it took Mr. Cuomo’s administration five months to respond to lawmakers after it had responded to the federal request in early September.
- [The New York Times / Jesse McKinley]
- A Cuomo aide acknowledged the death toll in nursing homes is about 15,000, rather than the 8,500 previously reported, by leaving out those who had gone to hospitals. The discrepancy, his aide said, was due to a suspicion that the actual count would be used against them by the Trump administration. [CBS News / Caroline Linton]
 - In a press conference Monday, Cuomo apologized for the lapse in data, which created inaccuracies for state and federal officials. [NPR / Matthew S. Schwartz]
- But, Cuomo defended the decision to return Covid-19 patients to nursing homes, saying it was made based on medical advice and hospital capacity at the time. [Politico / Bill Mahoney]
- New York Republicans and Democrats alike are criticizing Cuomo’s monthslong refusal to turn over data and are disheartened by the excuses he made in his explanation. Cuomo and administration figures could be susceptible to investigation. [The Associated Press / Marina Villeneuve]
- The controversy has also raised questions about the expansiveness of Cuomo’s emergency authority, with state Democrats working on legislation to restrict and even remove some of his powers. [CNN / Paul LeBlanc]
- Meanwhile, his approval rating has dropped 10 points since January — a far cry from the wide popularity he enjoyed in the early days of the pandemic and a potential hit to his 2022 fourth-term reelection plans. [The Wall Street Journal / Jimmy Vielkind]
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