White House press secretary Jen Psaki dodges a question Friday whether President Biden has faith in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo amid the controversy surrounding the state’s underreported COVID-19 nursing home deaths.
Psaki was asked if the president had confidence in Cuomo, after Biden hosted a group of bipartisan governors and mayors at the White House on Friday to discuss efforts to respond to the coronavirus.
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“ The president today received Gov. Cuomo and a bipartisan group of governors and mayors to get their perspectives from the front lines – to give no one a stamp of approval or to seek their stamp of approval, and to understand the urgency of passing American to discuss. Bailout plan, ”Psaki said, adding that the president“ is committed to working with governors and mayors. “
“Gov. Cuomo is the governor of one of the largest states in the country – one of the places where the pandemic hit hardest and earliest,” said Psaki. “There are still many Americans struggling to get vaccinated and make ends meet, so it was important to have him at the meeting.”
Biden had in the past praised Cuomo’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New York, saying last year that the governor’s daily briefings were “a lesson in leadership,” praising him as “an incredible job.”
On the “Tonight Show” last April, Biden said Cuomo was “kind of a gold standard.”
Psaki’s comments come now that Cuomo has come under scrutiny for his handling of the pandemic.
Last month, Attorney General Letitia James said at the COVID-19 nursing home in the state by a whopping 50% undervalued. And things escalated Thursday after a report that a top Cuomo assistant told leading Democratic lawmakers that the government had withheld data on COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes to avoid federal scrutiny.
But last year, Cuomo ordered nursing homes in the state to take in patients who had or were suspected of having COVID-19. The decision sparked an attack of COVID-19 cases infecting thousands of elderly patients and resulted in hundreds of deaths among the state’s most vulnerable population.
James said a new report revealed that on January 27, 2021, there were 5,597 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in nursing homes and an additional 2,783 presumed deaths. In assisted care facilities there were 160 deaths and 52 suspected deaths.
James’ report said government guidelines requiring the admission of COVID-19 patients to nursing homes may have put residents at an increased risk of harm in some facilities and may have obscured the available data to assess that risk.
Cuomo, who answered questions from reporters last month after the report on deaths in nursing homes was published, defended himself, saying, “Everyone did their best.”
At the press conference, Cuomo said the state was following federal guidelines. “If you think a mistake has been made, talk to the federal government,” he said. “It’s not about pointing fingers or guilt, this became a political football.”
Cuomo has defended nursing home policies in line with the Trump administration’s guidelines at the time.
James’ report said government guidelines requiring the admission of COVID-19 patients to nursing homes may have put residents at an increased risk of harm in some facilities and may have obscured the available data to assess that risk.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has asked 62 nursing homes to provide data on deaths in their facilities.
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The report, which revealed the findings of an investigation into allegations of patient neglect and other “ concerning behaviors ” that endangered the health and safety of both patients and employees, said some facilities failed to comply with health protocols to prevent the spread of the virus. to stop. .
Nursing homes with low U.S. Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services Staffing ratings were found to have higher COVID-19 death rates.
In addition, the lack of adequate personal protective equipment for staff and low availability of tests could also have increased the patient’s risk of contracting the virus, the report said.
About 70% of New York’s nearly 35,000 COVID deaths were people age 70 and older, according to January 28 state data.
Investigations into more than 20 nursing homes whose reported behaviors during the first wave of the pandemic were of particular concern is still ongoing, James added.
“As the pandemic and our investigations continue, it is imperative that we understand why the residents of nursing homes in New York suffered unnecessarily at such an alarming rate,” James said in a statement. “While we cannot bring back the individuals we have lost through this crisis, this report seeks to provide transparency that the public deserves and to take more action to protect our most vulnerable residents.”
Meanwhile, Psaki was asked last month whether the White House would support a federal investigation into the matter.
“Any investigation would be led by the Justice Department,” said Psaki.
Speaking at the Trump administration, Psaki added during her press conference, “We are in a new era where they are independent and will determine the steps they take to move forward.”
Fox News’ Peter Doocy and The Associated Press contributed to this report.