New York Senate Health Committee Chair: State Nursing Home COVID Numbers Are Questionable, Other State’s Numbers ‘Much Higher’

On Wednesday’s broadcast of “CNN Newsroom,” New York State Sen. and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health Gustavo Rivera (D) questioned the state’s numbers on coronavirus deaths in nursing homes, and said that “the way the numbers are calculated in other states gives an idea that the percentages of deaths among people we know are more vulnerable to this disease are much higher.” Rivera also stated that it’s not possible to establish the best policy for the future without the best data.

Rivera said that he doesn’t agree with the state health department’s assessment that they have been transparent, adding, “[W]hat you see is, the way the numbers are calculated in other states gives an idea that the percentages of deaths among people we know are more vulnerable to this disease are much higher. And listen, look, ultimately, this series of hearings that we’re doing — we’ve done 23 hours of them so far — are about accountability first, but second, about making sure that we establish policy going forward to avert unnecessary deaths. And unfortunately, if we do not have the best and most accurate data, we’re not going to be able to do that.”

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