New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has finally released the full list of COVID-19 nursing home deaths in his state.
The release finally arrived this past Thursday and shows Suffolk County leading the way in New York with 655 confirmed COVID-19 nursing home deaths, and 267 presumed deaths.
Erie County in western New York comes in second with 621 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, and nine presumed. Erie County also has the nursing home with the most confirmed COVID-19 deaths; 117 patients died in the Harris Hill Nursing Facility in Erie County.
Pressure on Cuomo came after the top prosecutor in New York State, Attorney General Loretta James, released a report on January 28th detailing how the state undercounted the number of deaths in nursing homes.
The report was hidden from the public following the orders of New York when the outbreak started, as the Governor ordered all elderly residents who tested positive for COVID-19 to be allowed back into nursing homes, setting up a rapid spread of the virus.
“As the pandemic and our investigation continues, it is imperative that we understand why the nursing home residents in New York unnecessarily suffered at such an alarming rate,” AG James said in her report.
New York and California are leading the way on COVID-19 deaths in the United States, despite strict lockdown measures implemented by Democratic-controlled governments.
