“The state has clearly broken the trust of the people when it failed to protect our seniors in nursing homes from COVID-19 and the governor failed to communicate honestly to the public. After the attorney general’s damning report, residents need assurance that the numbers being relayed on vaccination progress in long-term care facilities are accurate – we can begin to do this by removing the governor’s emergency powers so there can be legislative oversight. Ambiguity here does not settle the already rattled nerves of the public who have lost parents and grandparents over the pandemic. New Yorkers deserve to know in real terms what is happening in our nursing homes.”

According to James’ investigation, the DOH underreported pandemic deaths in nursinghomes by as high as 50 percent. Additionally, the governor’s office started to hold back statistics on vaccinations in the facilities mid-month, and only recently began reporting these figures again after an outcry from policymakers and good government and policy group the Empire Center.

Angelino is the ranking Minority of the Committee on Oversight, Investigation and Analysis.