Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to testify publicly on September 10 before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, according to a statement released by the subcommittee on September 3.
The subcommittee’s chairman, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), stated that “Andrew Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York’s nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In March 2020, Cuomo issued an order stating that no resident shall be denied admission or readmission to nursing homes based solely on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19.
A 2022 audit by the New York state comptroller revealed that the New York State Department of Health had not been transparent in reporting COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes and had understated the number of deaths by as much as 50 percent. The audit found that approximately 4,100 deaths were not accounted for between April 2020 and February 2021.
During the audit process, there were delays and lack of cooperation from department officials. Requests for information were often unanswered or postponed.
The subcommittee subpoenaed Cuomo in March to testify about his handling of nursing home deaths during the pandemic. In June, he was interviewed behind closed doors by the subcommittee regarding his nursing home policies.
Cuomo claimed he was unaware of the March 25, 2020 order until a press conference in April and stated that nursing homes were confused by it.
In July 2020, Cuomo dismissed criticism over his handling of nursing homes amid the pandemic as politically motivated. He denied allegations of inaccurately reporting nursing home deaths due to COVID-19 in February 2021.
Rep. Wenstrup expressed his disappointment with Cuomo’s defensive attitude during their closed-door interview and noted that he did not seem willing to take responsibility for what happened.
Ahead of his scheduled testimony on September 10, a spokesman for Cuomo criticized the committee’s false political attacks blaming New York for nursing home deaths and argued that other states followed similar guidance from federal agencies like CDC and CMS.
The upcoming hearing will provide an opportunity for further examination into Cuomo’s actions regarding nursing home policies during the pandemic.