New York Governor Acknowledges Withholding Nursing Home Deaths From Public And Media

On Monday, the New York Governor expressed regret that he withheld data on the COVID 19 deaths in nursing homes from the public, from media and from the lawmakers.

He said in a press briefing that they learned the lesson for not releasing the data. Things should have been done differently, he admitted. He said that he never wanted to worsen the situation.

New York Governor Acknowledges Withholding Nursing Home Deaths

More than 15000 inmates of nursing homes and long-term care facilities died due to COVID 19 in New York. The State, however, maintained that only 8500 people died.

They included the number in the full death toll in the State. But they were not ascribed to the deaths that happened in hospitals, not inside nursing homes.

The Justice Department and the lawmakers made repeated requests for a full accounting.  The media, too, requested the same. But the governor’s office gave priority to responding to the Justice Department. And they failed to respond to all other requests.

The alleged cover-up angered The Democrats and the Republicans alike. And they declared that they would reconsider their decision to grant the governor emergency power to deal with the pandemic situation.

According to some, the cover-up betrayed the public trust. The governor’s office has to be fully accountable for the deaths.

A senior officer of the governor apologized to the lawmakers for withholding the full data on the COVID 19 deaths in nursing homes.

The State has to learn a lesson, the governor said in a press briefing. Their priority had been to save lives every day, he added.

Are you concerned about your elderly parents at home? If yes, here are some tips CDC recommends:

• Ask them to wear a mask when interacting with others.
• Advise them to minimize their interaction with outsiders.
• Let them maintain social distance, at least six feet from the one communicating with them.
• Ask them to cover their sneeze and cough with a towel or the inside of their elbow. Let them wash their hands immediately after that.
• Make sure that the surfaces they touch are always clean and disinfected.
• When going out, take the risk of infection involved.
• Ask them to go shopping late in the evening or in the morning. The streets and shops will be least crowded in these times.
• Avoid on-site dining. Go for alternatives.
• Let them keep a mask, hand sanitizer and a towel wherever they go.
• Make sure that they avoid anyone who doesn’t wear a mask.

If your loved one is in a nursing home, you are sure to feel concerned. Make sure that the facility follows CDC recommendations in this regard:

• Limit the number of visitors. If it is a must, require that they wear a mask. Make sure that their mouth and nose are covered.
• Limit the number of hours visitors can enter the facility. Even then, you should limit the number of them per resident. For instance, you should not let in more than two visitors for one inmate at the same time.
• Ask visitors to inform in advance so as to plan it to ensure social distancing.
• Set aside a specific location for visitation. It can be the inmate’s room or outside the building.
• Have a regular checkup for fever and other symptoms.
• Limit recreational activities in such a way as to maintain social distance.

If you are an older adult, you can use CDC’s self-check mechanism to monitor yourself.  If you feel that you have COVID 19, contact your health care professional within a day.

If it is not feasible, visit your nearest healthcare centre. The smart option is having a healthcare plan. It includes the following:

• Your health issues
• Medicines
• Emergency contact numbers
• End of life plans.