>> Bill: A LOT OF REVERB
BRAITIONS, SHOCKING REPORT ON
THE NURSING HOME SCANDAL IN NEW
YORK ON DEATHS CAUSED BY
COVID-19 ACROSS THE ENTIRE
STATE.
WE’RE ON THIS FROM THE
BEGINNING IN FACT.
BRIAN, THE NEWS IS NOT
FAVORABLE HERE.
IT’S A STUNNING REPORT ABOUT
50% OF THE DEATHS MAY BE HIGHER
THAN AS WHAT HAS BEEN REPORTED.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE NOW?
HELLO.
>> YEAH, BILL, GOOD MORNING.
A BOMBSHELL REPORT.
76 PAGE PRELIMINARY REPORT ON
THE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED BY
THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL HERE IN NEW YORK WHICH
FOUND THAT THE DEATHS IN
NURSING HOMES ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITIES OF COVID-19 IN THE
STATE WERE UNDERCOUNTED BY AS
MUCH AS 50%.
THE REPORT ALSO FOUND THAT
NURSING HOME FACILITIES LACKED
PROPER PPE AS WELL AS TESTING
FOR COVID-19 WHICH LED TO THE
INCREASED RISK OF DEATH OF
THOSE PEOPLE IN THESE LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES.
THE INVESTIGATION ALSO FOUND
THAT SOME NURSING HOMES ARE TO
BLAME, TOO, FOR THEIR LACK OF
COMPLIANCE AND POOR SERVICE.
MORE THAN 20 NURSING HOMES ARE
NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION.
ALSO IN TERMS OF THE
UNDERCOUNTING OF DEATHS, IN THE
INVESTIGATION THERE WAS THIS
EXAMPLE.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
IN ONE EXAMPLE, 11 CONFIRMED OR
PRESUMED DEATHS WERE COUNTED IN
ONE NURSING HOME.
THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF DEATHS
WERE 40.
MORE THAN 8,000 PEOPLE HAVE
DIED OF COVID-19 IN NURSING
HOMES IN THE STATE.
THAT IS THE OFFICIAL COUNT BUT
FAMILIES HAVE LONG SUSPECTED
THAT THE DEATH TOLLS WERE FAR
LARGER THAN THAT.
REMEMBER, MORE THAN 42,000
PEOPLE HAVE DIED OF COVID IN
NEW YORK.
THAT’S THE LARGEST NUMBER IN
THE COUNTRY.
NOW UNDER GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO
THE STATE WAS ONLY COUNTING
THOSE WHO DIED OF COVID-19
INSIDE THE FACILITIES.
THEY WERE NOT COUNTING THOSE
WHO DIED OF COVID-19 WHILE THEY
WERE AT THE HOSPITAL.
THE STATE ALSO FOUND THAT THE
MARCH 2020 NEW YORK STATE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH GUIDANCE
TO NURSING HOMES AND LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES REQUIRING THEM
TO ACCEPT COVID-19 INFECTED
PATIENTS THAT WERE JUST
RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITALS MAY
HAVE INCREASED DEATHS.
THIS IS DESPITE GOVERNOR ANDREW
CUOMO’S CLAIMS THEY CONDUCTED A
STUDY THAT FOUND THERE WAS NO
CORRELATION BETWEEN THAT D.O.H.
ORDER AN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS.
IN A STATEMENT IN THE RELEASE
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE REQUIRING
THE ADMISSION OF COVID-19
PATIENTS INTO NURSING HOMES MAY
HAVE PUT RESIDENTS AT INCREASED
RISK OF HARM IN SOME FACILITIES
AND MAY HAVE OBSCURED THE DATA
AVAILABLE TO ASSESS THAT RISK.
NOW GOVERNOR CUOMO’S OFFICE
SAID THEY WERE FOLLOWING
FEDERAL GUIDELINES TO INSURE NO
ONE WAS DENIED ACCESS TO THESE
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES BUT
AGAIN HE HAS BEEN UNDER
INCREDIBLE PRESSURE FROM
CRITICS AND FAMILIES WHO POINT
TO THAT ORDER AS THE REASON WHY
THERE WERE SO MANY DEATHS IN
THE FACILITIES.
IN A STATEMENT ATTORNEY GENERAL
JAMES SAID THIS.
AS THE PANDEMIC AND OUR
INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE IT IS
IMPERATIVE WE UNDERSTAND WHY
THE RESIDENTS OF NURSING HOMES
IN NEW YORK SUFFERED AT SUCH AN
ALARMING RATE.
THE BIG QUESTION NOW BILL IS
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
IN THIS REPORT THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL CALLS OUT THE FACT THAT
FRANKLY UNDER A MARCH 23, 2020
IMMUNITY CLAUSE SIGNED BY THE
GOVERNOR, A LOT OF THESE
NURSING HOME FACILITIES AND
THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
DEATHS FALL UNDER IMMUNITY.
SHE IS ASKING THE NEW YORK
GOVERNOR AND THE STATE TO
OVERTURN THAT IMMUNITY CLAUSE,
THAT THOSE -- SO THAT PEOPLE
CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR
THESE THOUSANDS OF DEATHS.
BUT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF
QUESTIONS FOR THE GOVERNOR.
FAMILIES HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR A
LONG TIME WHERE WAS THE DATA.
THEY BELIEVE THERE WERE MORE
DEATHS THAN WERE ACTUALLY BEING
COUNTED AND BELIEVE THE ORDER
IN MARCH OF 2020 ORDERING
PEOPLE BACK INTO NURSING HOMES
DESPITE THE FACT THEY WERE
INFECTED WITH COVID-19 CAUSED
MORE DEATHS.
THIS REPORT AT LEAST
PRELIMINARYLY IS SAYING IT
LOOKS THAT WAY AND WE’LL
CONTINUE TO INVESTIGATE.
>> Bill: STUNNING STUFF.
THANK YOU.
QUICK REPORTING ON THAT.
THE GOVERNOR WAS TALKING ABOUT
THAT THIS WEEK.
>> Dana: THE GOVERNOR DID AN
INTERVIEW WHICH HE SAID IT WAS
FEDERAL INCOMPETENCE AND
INCOMPETENT GOVERNMENT KILLS
PEOPLE.
MORE PEOPLE DIED THAN NEEDED TO
DIE IN COVID.
IT IS INDEED.
ANOTHER THING IS REMEMBER THIS
GOVERNOR WROTE A BOOK ABOUT HOW
WELL HE DID IN THE PANDEMIC
RESPONSE.
IT BECAME A BEST SELLER AND WON
AN EMMY FOR HIS BRIEFING.
AND NOW YOU HAVE FAMILIES THEY
WEREN’T THERE TO BE ABLE TO
HOLD THEIR LOVED ONES HAND OR
HAVE A FUNERAL AND NOW FINDING
THIS OUT.
>> Bill: WHAT BRYAN IS
REPORTING AT THE END.
THESE WERE COVID PATIENTS
TREATED AT LOCAL HOSPITALS HERE
IN NEW YORK AND THE ORDER CAME
OUT THAT SAID ONCE THEY ARE
RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, THE
NURSING HOME MUST TAKE THEM
BACK IN.
WELL, THESE NURSING CENTERS
WITH ALL THE ELDERLY WERE THE
MOST VULNERABLE OF ALL AT ANY
POINT IN COVID-19 ESPECIALLY
DURING MARCH AND APRIL OF LAST
YEAR.
SO REALLY STUNNING INDICTMENT.