Cuomo defends administration after scrutiny over nursing home deaths

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday defended his administration’s pandemic response, while accepting some fault himself, as scrutiny mounts over how the state handled COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes.

The New York governor confirmed in a press conference that the state Department of Health “paused” state lawmakers’ inquiry into nursing home death data to prioritize dealing with the general pandemic and the Department of Justice’s request for similar information in August.

Cuomo noted that both chambers of the state legislature were informed of the department’s decision at the time that led to the “delay,” adding, “They can’t say they didn’t know.”