New York marks one-year anniversary of its first COVID-19 case

(The Center Square) – One year ago, New York reported its first case of COVID-19, and the since then, both the state and its governor have endured a turbulent year.

After that initial patient, the state quickly became the country’s first hot spot. Illnesses and deaths skyrocketed, requiring officials to open up makeshift hospitals. Eventually, though the cases would subside, and New York would become one of the states cited for controlling the spread.

The pandemic also turned New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo into a quasi-celebrity as his daily briefings earned national attention. His popularity soared, even as questions surrounding his handling of the pandemic lingered. He put out a book on the coronavirus and even won an Emmy award for his briefings.

In the meantime, New York has recorded 38,557 deaths from COVID-19 and more than 1.6 million positive test results. On Monday, the state reported that 5,307 people were hospitalized in New York with the virus.

As the year as gone on, Cuomo seen his luster drain away under the spotlight.

Business owners grew frustrated over the slow reopening process, and those in New York City grew impatient as the rest of the state – including next-door suburbs like Westchester County and Long Island – reopened with fewer restrictions. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Albany and Washington questioned the impact a March 25 memo directing nursing homes to admit COVID-positive patients back into their facilities.

For months, the administration deferred answers to state legislators. However, that began to unravel over the past month. First, Attorney General Letitia James issued a report indicating that the way officials counted deaths did not accurately indicate how many people died from catching the coronavirus at a nursing home.

Following that, a state judge ordered the administration to finally provide data to the Empire Center some six months after the nonpartisan organization asked for data on nursing homes. Then, a New York Post article disclosed that Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa told key Democratic lawmakers that the administration froze their request for information out of fear it could spur a federal investigation.

State Assemblyman Ron Kim, D-Queens, has found himself to be a target of Cuomo’s in recent weeks. The chairman of the Assembly Committee on Aging claimed in a tweet Saturday that Cuomo’s directive helped for-profit nursing home operators make money from the pandemic as homes were reimbursed at the higher Medicare rate for COVID-19-infected residents instead of the regular Medicaid rate.

He added that the order led to 6,000 new residents for nursing homes.

“That is about $114 million/month & with Cuomo’s corporate immunity, executives maximized their profits,” Kim said.

While the administration denies any wrongdoing regarding nursing home policies, it has led to a federal investigation as well as calls for a review and possible impeachment by Republicans and Democratic state lawmakers. Those calls only grew louder as Cuomo has faced multiple allegations he sexually harassed staffers in his office.

Now Republicans such as Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, and Democrats like Kim are calling for Cuomo’s resignation.

“The governor has repeatedly broken the public’s trust, he has demonstrated toxic leadership qualities, and he is irreparably compromised in his dealings with his co-equal partners in the legislature. For these reasons, I believe Gov. Cuomo must resign.”

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