Suffolk senator, families demand Gov. Cuomo release data on nursing home COVID-19 cases

They say the governor’s directive on March 25 that forced acceptance of COVID-19 positive residents back into nursing homes was most likely a contributing factor in their deaths.

News 12 Staff

Aug 25, 2020, 6:25 PM

Updated 1,479 days ago

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State Sen. Phil Boyle, Suffolk County candidates for state Senate and family members of those who had a loved one die from the coronavirus inside a nursing home are demanding an independent investigation into the state’s handling of the pandemic.
They gathered Tuesday outside the state offices in Hauppauge to demand accountability from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
They say the governor’s directive on March 25 that forced acceptance of COVID-19-positive residents back into nursing homes was most likely a contributing factor in their deaths.
They also are demanding that Gov. Cuomo release the number of people who died inside a nursing home due to COVID-19.
“We are not asking for a Republican hearing or investigation. We are not asking for a Democratic hearing or investigation,” said Boyle. “We are asking for an independent investigation into the number of people who contracted COVID in these nursing homes, even if they died outside the nursing home. I am 1,000% sure that Gov. Cuomo’s administration has this number. They will just not release it because it will make them look bad.”
News 12 reached out to the governor’s office for a comment on this story.