ALBANY, N.Y (February 12, 2021) — In response to the NY Post’s report Thursday revealing Governor Cuomo’s top aide Melissa DeRosa admitted that the administration purposefully deceived the public and the federal government by withholding the state’s nursing home death toll from COVID-19, the Alliance for Quality Education released the following statement:
“Governor Cuomo and his administration underreported nursing home deaths with the deliberate and singular purpose of misleading the federal government, public agencies, and New York families. A deception of this magnitude is an absolute betrayal of the Governor’s office and the public trust. We deserve a leader in New York who is honest to the people, and we call on Governor Cuomo to resign immediately.”
“It is clear that mistakes were made in the early days of the COVID-19 crisis, when information was scarce and the virus spread out of control. Lives were lost as a result of those mistakes, and the families left behind are unlikely to ever find accountability or closure for the loss of their loved ones. But the Cuomo administration this week demonstrated that it lacks even the basic compassion to be honest with families about what was happening. That deception is unforgivable.
“Governor Cuomo’s betrayal of public trust in this way is deeply personal to every New Yorker touched by COVID-19. The data he lied about represents parents, grandparents, and loved ones. Many of these individuals had families who were desperate for information but found themselves cut off from contact, and unable to find answers about the status of their family members during this time. The Governor’s power forced facilities to take in COVID-19 patients, and that decision ravaged our communities.
“New Yorkers are hurting. New York’s children are hurting. Too many families have lost loved ones, grandparents, parents, and children. The least we can expect from our elected leaders is they treat us with dignity enough to tell us the truth. To be deceitful about the number of deaths of New Yorkers in nursing homes, which were multiplied by his executive orders, is the ultimate betrayal of our trust, therefore we demand Governor Cuomo resign immediately.”