United States – A study done on how the New York state managed the COVID-19 crisis indicated that Mr. Cuomo’s approach created distrust among the people and confusion.
Analysis Highlights Cuomo Administration’s Failures
According to the investigation, spearheaded by the present governor, Kathy Hochul (D), Cuomo’s administration’s negligence and failure to communicate with agencies and facilities, especially nursing homes all over the state, were evidenced by resources that were channeled and wasted while mistrust among people emerged, as reported by The Associated Press.
The report published by The Olson Group on Friday also pointed to New York State as having been often described as the epicenter of the disease in the United States.
“COVID-19 rapidly spread through New York City and across the state, testing every facet of emergency preparedness, public health, human services, and disaster response and recovery,” the report said.
The report mentioned that New York was believed to be one of the best positioned states for an infectious disease outbreak, having engaged in the creation of the pandemic plans and strengthening its healthcare facilities.
The report claimed that New York was ready for other health crises, such as the H1N1 pandemic, but as COVID escalated, Cuomo drifted from that plan and adopted the “glorification of ‘top-down’ approaches, most of the time informed from outside the state.”
The former governor of New York, Cuomo, who stepped down in 2021 because of the accusations of sexual harassment, signed ‘hundreds of executive orders’ to prevent further spread of the virus, according to the group.
Controversy Over Nursing Home Policies
The governor was especially condemned concerning his management of nursing facilities and the effects of the pandemic on the elderly by Cuomo. The group also discovered that guidance on how the nursing homes should handle COVID was “hasty and disorganized. ” Despite this, the report noted that New York had comparably high mortality rates compared to other states.
Governor Cuomo’s administration was criticised on the policy that would force nursing homes to accept patients recovering from COVID-19 so that hospitals did not get flooded. Official numbers of fatalities by states drastically lacked representation of the true death toll according to The Associated Press.
Response and Criticism
Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo’s spokesperson finally had something to say about the governor’s stand in a statement made to the AP.
“While this report cuts through the political garbage that has consumed the nursing home issue and points out how circumstances were consistent nationwide, it’s ridiculous to suggest that this pandemic response be treated the same as H1N1 or Legionnaires outbreaks,” the statement said.
On Wednesday of this week, a House committee that is investigating the COVID crisis sent a subpoena to Cuomo over an alleged noncompliance on a probe into New York’s nursing home policies.