New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Feb. 15 that his administration's lack of transparency about all COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes was a mistake, the first time the governor has publicly made such a statement, reports The New York Times.
"The void we created by not providing information was filled by skepticism and cynicism and conspiracy theories, which furthered confusion," Mr. Cuomo said. "Most of all, the void we created allowed disinformation."
More than 15,000 residents at New York's nursing homes and long-term care facilities have died from COVID-19. However, the state was reporting only about 8,500 fatalities as recently as late January, excluding virus deaths that occurred outside of the facilities, such as in hospitals.
On Jan. 28, the state's attorney general, Letitia James, accused the Cuomo administration of significantly undercounting COVID-19 deaths connected to nursing homes. Hours later, the numbers were updated to include thousands more deaths.