Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo defends COVID-19 nursing home policies during congressional testimony
Last edited Tue Sep 10, 2024, 02:48 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: ABC News
September 10, 2024, 3:18 PM
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo began his public testimony before Congress on Tuesday by defending his administration's nursing home policies during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing, before the Republican-led House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, addressed Cuomo's decision to allow COVID-19-positive patients back into nursing homes and long-term care facilities while the pandemic was underway.
Cuomo previously testified before the subcommittee during a closed-door hearing in June. "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the CDC on March 13, 2020, [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] CMS issued guidance -- let us trust the word 'guidance' -- that specifically directed nursing homes to not accept COVID-19-positive patients if they were unable to do so safely and to only accept individuals if the nursing home could follow CDC transmission based guidance," subcommittee Chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said in his opening statement on Tuesday.
In March 2020, as COVID-19 cases were surging, Cuomo issued an order requiring nursing homes to readmit all residents who were "medically stable" and returning after being hospitalized for the virus. "No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the [nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19," the order read. It further stated that nursing homes were "prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission."
However, Cuomo responded that the CMS and CDC, under the administration under former President Donald Trump, advised that "that COVID-positive people could go from hospitals to nursing homes, even if they were still infectious. That was your ruling." "'The March 25 guidance was consistent with the CMS guidance. The March 25 guidance was consistent with the CMS guidance if nursing homes have the ability to adhere to infection prevention and control recommendations.' That's the attorney general's position opinion," Cuomo said, referring to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/former-new-york-gov-andrew-cuomo-set-testify/story?id=113518539
I believe this is supposed to start at 2:00 pm EDT.
Article now updated.
Original article/headline
September 10, 2024, 6:11 AM
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to publicly testify Tuesday before Congress on his administration's nursing home policies during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The hearing, before the Republican-led House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, will see Cuomo defend his decision to allow COVID-19-positive patients back into nursing homes and long-term care facilities while the pandemic was underway.
Cuomo previously testified before the subcommittee during a closed-door hearing in June. Transcripts from that interview, as well as with high-ranking officials during Cuomo's administration, will be released ahead of the public hearing.
"Andrew Cuomo owes answers to the 15,000 families who lost loved ones in New York's nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic," subcommittee Chairman Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said in a statement last week. "On September 10, Americans will have the opportunity to hear directly from the former governor about New York's potentially fatal nursing home policies."
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