NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Friday threw her support behind a group of elected officials calling for an investigation into the Cuomo administration's handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes.
In a statement released Friday afternoon, Ocasio-Cortez noted that "thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers lost their lives in nursing homes throughout the pandemic."
"I support our state's return to co-equal governance and stand with our local officials calling for a full investigation of the Cuomo administration's handling of nursing homes during COVID-19," she wrote. "Their loved ones and the public deserve answers and transparency from their elected leadership, and the Secretary to the Governor's remarks warrant a full investigation."
Ocasio-Cortez' statement referred to remarks Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top aide, Melissa DeRosa, made in a conference call with Democratic legislative leaders earlier this month.
During the call, DeRosa said Cuomo's administration held onto data related to nursing home COVID-19 fatalities amid concerns that the Trump administration would use the data against New York state.
"Basically, we froze because then we were in a position where we weren't sure if what we were going to give to the Department of Justice or what we give to you guys and what we start saying was going to be used against us, and we weren't sure if there was going to be an investigation," she said.
A report released by New York Attorney General Letitia James in January found that the state may have underreported COVID-19-related nursing home deaths by as much as 50 percent, as Cuomo's administration did not release specific data on nursing home residents who died of COVID-19 in hospitals.
At a news briefing on Friday, Cuomo said that his administration "created a void by not producing enough public information fast enough," but maintained the lack of information was "exploited with misinformation, people playing politics."
"This information of total deaths was provided always," he said. "It is a lie to say any numbers were inaccurate. That is a lie. Total deaths were always reported to nursing homes and hospitals."
