The coronavirus pandemic’s death toll on New York’s most vulnerable residents living in nursing homes has skyrocketed – with an updated state tally indicating the number of fatalities is more than 1,700 higher than previously reported.
Revised state Health Department data reveal that at least 4,813 people residing in 600 nursing homes have died from COVID-19 or symptoms associated with the virus.
Sources told the Post even the new, higher number is likely under-counting cases. Many nursing home residents died after being transferred to hospitals, and industry sources said their deaths are are not being fully accounted for.
For the first time, the statistics include the deaths of nursing home residents suspected of dying from COVID-19 before a confirmed diagnosis was received. Previously the state did not count so-called presumed cases.
The climbing death toll comes amid finger-pointing who is responsible for what has become an emerging scandal.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker have come under fire for a March 25 edict requiring nursing homes to admit or readmit recovering COVID patients.
In a rare slap at a successor, former Gov. George Pataki called Cuomo’s nursing home policy a “disaster” that has contributed to nursing home deaths and has called for an independent federal probe of the administration’s actions.
The governor has defended the policy, saying nursing homes were obligated to transfer COVID patients elsewhere if they did not have the capacity and safety protocols to house them.
Nursing homes were clearly unprepared, lacking infection-control protocols, personal protective equipment and tests to properly identify residents and staff infected with the virus.
At Cuomo’s behest, state Attorney General Letitia James and the Health Department are probing the actions of the nursing homes.
The revised list found 22 nursing homes in New York City and Long Island reported at least 40 deaths.
At least 12 facilities reported 50 or more deaths.
Parker Jewish Institute in Queens reported 70 deaths — the highest among nursing homes.
Isabella Geriatric Center in Washington Heights reported 64 deaths.
The Plaza Rehab and Nursing Center in The Bronx reported 58 confirmed and suspected COVID fatalities.
Riverside nursing home in Manhattan reported 55 COVID-related deaths.
At least 50 deaths were also reported at several homes, including the Citadel in The Bronx, Cobble Hill and Phoenix facilities in Brooklyn, Amsterdam nursing home in Manhattan, Ozanam and Sapphire in Queens, Carmel Richmond on Staten Island and the Long Island State Veterans Home.
Since March 1, state Health Department officials said they have conducted more than 2,600 infection-control calls and reviews of practice to help stem COVID.
The agency also has conducted 51 infection control surveys and made 744 calls to the facilities to assess their ability to provide quality care during the pandemic.
The department on Tuesday also said it tested 1,646 residents and 598 staff at 42 nursing facilities and is increasing testing capacity daily to bolster infection control.
Nursing home operators complained they lacked the testing capacity to prevent infections.
Staff shortages have also been a major problem at nursing homes, with many infected with COVID.
To support staffing, the department said it expanded access to the governor’s portal of 95,000 volunteers to 400-plus nursing homes and last week sent a letter out to all nursing home administrators encouraging participation in the program.
The department also said it has opened 2,731 complaint investigations at nursing homes during the pandemic.
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