An independent review of New York state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has found that former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s (Democrat) response “created public distrust” and caused confusion.
A study commissioned by current Gov. Kathy Hockle (Democrat) found that poor communication between the Cuomo administration and state agencies and facilities, particularly nursing homes, led to wasted resources and public distrust.
Reports, Released on Friday New York state is frequently classified as the “epicenter” of the disease in the United States, according to research by the Olson Group.
“COVID-19 spread rapidly throughout New York City and the state, testing every aspect of emergency preparedness, public health, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response and recovery,” the report said.
New York is considered one of the states best prepared for an infectious disease outbreak, thanks to its investments in developing pandemic preparedness plans and strengthening its medical facilities, according to the report.
The report argued that New York state had prepared for other health emergencies, such as influenza pandemics, but as COVID-19 spread, Governor Cuomo moved away from the state’s established plans and “pushed forward with a ‘top-down’ approach, often based on outside expertise.”
The group said Governor Cuomo, who resigned in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations, issued “hundreds of executive orders” to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Cuomo was particularly criticized for his handling of nursing homes and how the pandemic has affected seniors, with the group saying policies on how nursing homes should respond to COVID-19 were “hasty and uncoordinated.” Still, the report acknowledged that New York’s death rate is comparable to the rest of the country.
The Cuomo administration has come under scrutiny for policies that required nursing homes to readmit recovered COVID-19 patients to avoid overwhelmed hospitals, and the state’s death toll has been a huge undercount of fatalities. The Associated Press reported.
Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi defended the governor’s approach in a statement to The Associated Press.
“This report cuts through the political garbage that has smothered the nursing home issue and points out that the situation was consistent across the country, but it is absurd to suggest that this pandemic response should be treated in the same way as an H1N1 or Legionnaires’ disease outbreak,” the statement said.
Earlier this week, Gov. Cuomo was called to testify before a House committee investigating the pandemic about his alleged failure to cooperate with an investigation into the state’s nursing home policies during COVID-19.
