Assemblyman Chris Tague (R,C,I-Schoharie) is demanding legislative hearings into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic within nursing homes by Gov. Cuomo’s administration, as well as the rescinding of Gov. Cuomo’s emergency powers, following a report from the attorney general that the state Department of Health underreported nursing home deaths related to COVID-19 by as much as 50 percent. The report also found that nursing home staff were not provided with sufficient PPE or tests for residents and staff, and that there was a lack of compliance among nursing homes with an executive order requiring communication with family members.

“With each passing day we learn more about the tragedy that has occurred in our nursing homes and how the governor and his allies have worked to cover it up,” said Tague. “The fact that things are this much worse than the Department of Health reported is shameful, and I am sickened that we are learning of the tremendous scale of this loss of life just today. It is past time that we put an end to the governor’s emergency powers, because clearly the governor cannot be trusted to protect our most vulnerable during this pandemic and has used his power instead to try and sweep this unthinkable loss under the rug. Governor Cuomo and Commissioner Zucker owe it to all of the families who lost their loved ones to testify under oath as to why the shocking information in this report was kept from the public for so long.”