Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told members of Congress that he was not aware of an order requiring nursing homes to accept residents discharged from hospitals with COVID-19, according to lawmakers present at the hearing. Despite this, Cuomo stated that he would not have changed the mandate, even with the knowledge he has now.
The directive issued by the New York Department of Health on March 25, 2020, mandated that nursing home operators accept residents even if they tested positive for COVID-19. Nursing homes were also prohibited from requiring COVID-19 testing before readmitting residents. Cuomo warned that operators could face penalties for not complying with state policies.
Over 15,000 nursing home residents in New York died from COVID-19, with the Cuomo administration later found to have undercounted nursing home deaths. Cuomo partially reversed the order in May 2021 but maintained other elements for additional months.
Cuomo previously blamed health care workers and family members for bringing COVID-19 into nursing homes and pointed fingers at the Trump administration for the directive. However, he acknowledged that the language in the mandate differed from the CMS guidance.
During the hearing, Cuomo stated that New York followed federal guidance but admitted that the mandate did not allow nursing home operators to reject residents they could not care for. Despite this, Cuomo maintained that he would not change the directive in hindsight but would communicate about it more effectively.
Lawmakers expressed concern over the lack of options for nursing home operators and emphasized the need for improved infection control and prevention measures to protect residents in the future. Please rewrite the following sentence: “I am going to the store to buy some groceries.”
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