NY nursing dwelling COVID sufferer’s kin slams Andrew Cuomo in Home listening to
The daughter of an aged lady who died of COVID-19 in a New York nursing dwelling ripped disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo Wednesday for covering up his decision to move infected patients into senior care amenities at the beginning of the pandemic.
Vivian Zayas told lawmakers on the Home Choose Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic that her mom, Ana Martinez, and 1000’s of others who have been confined in nursing properties between March and Might 2020 as a result of Cuomo’s directive have been “handled like zoo animals” and died alone.
“We by no means noticed our stunning mom once more. She was lifeless shortly after. Gasping for air, alone, confused, and scared with out her daughters who have been her translators and caregivers,” mentioned Zayas, who later cofounded the COVID help group Voices for Seniors. “My mother didn’t get to fulfill her grandchildren or her great-grandchildren.”
Albany’s Division of Well being issued an order on March 25, 2020, forcing senior care amenities to deal with COVID-positive sufferers discharged from hospitals.
The directive was quietly rescinded on Might 10, 2020.
“Like many different households, the nursing dwelling saved us in the dead of night as effectively, by no means telling us that they have been admitting COVID-positive sufferers on the insistence of Governor Cuomo,” mentioned Zayas, who famous that the previous governor and different Democrats have evaded duty for that call for greater than 1,000 days.
After rescinding the order, Cuomo and his high advisers pressed state well being officers to cowl up the overall variety of nursing dwelling deaths attributable to COVID-19 by excluding fatalities that occurred exterior of amenities in a July 2020 report.
One yr later, a senior Cuomo adviser and state Well being Division spokesperson admitted the governor had lied that just 6,432 deaths had occurred within the care amenities.
As of March 2021, greater than 15,000 New York nursing dwelling residents have been reported to have died from the virus, together with of their amenities as effectively hospitals.
“Governor Cuomo knew that the must-admit order was wreaking havoc on nursing properties all through New York. And so, his administration froze the state’s nursing dwelling deaths information,” Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) mentioned in his opening remarks.
“Our preliminary inquiries to our native legislators requesting an investigation into the elements that contributed to the loss of life of our family members have been met with roadblocks, vitriol and partisan accusations,” Zayas mentioned. “That was extraordinarily troubling since my mom [was] a Puerto Rican lady who together with most of our household have been lifelong Democrats.”
Zayas’ mom was moved to a senior care facility after having been briefly hospitalized for a minor cyst. She was anticipated to make a full restoration.
Different subcommittee witnesses panned Cuomo’s pandemic memoir “American Crisis” and his choice to publish it whereas the outbreak was ongoing after receiving greater than $5 million to write down it.
“He was anxious about his picture and selling a e book in the course of a pandemic — not on the finish, the place you may have extra foresight — in the course of a pandemic, whereas my mom and all these seniors have been gasping for air and died alone,” mentioned Zayas.
The subcommittee additionally heard from Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean, who misplaced each her in-laws to COVID whereas housed in a nursing dwelling; Invoice Hammond, senior fellow for well being coverage on the Empire Heart, the suppose tank which revealed that Cuomo’s directive led to extra senior deaths because of the virus; and Dr. David Grabowski, a professor of well being care coverage at Harvard Medical College.
“I didn’t suppose the e book was correct or effectively carried out,” Hammond instructed subcommittee members. “And to the extent that individuals thought it was, I believe they have been misled.”
A March 2022 report from the New York State Well being Division discovered Cuomo had “misled the general public” and undercounted deaths by greater than 50% to attempt to save his picture.
Cuomo resigned in August 2021 following allegations of sexual harassment by a number of girls throughout his time in workplace.