Top aides for NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo altered the true number of nursing home residents who had died of COVID-19 in a report released by the state's Health Department last year. News of this action was reported by both The New York Times & Wall Street Journal on Thursday. 
The July 2020 report stated that 6,432 people had died of COVID-19 in nursing homes. However, several Cuomo staffers, including top aide Melissa DeRosa, successfully removed roughly 3,000 deaths from the report's tally.
That number included New York residents who died of COVID-19 in hospitals but had contracted the illness inside their nursing homes.
'The out-of-facility data was omitted after DOH could not confirm it had been adequately verified,' Beth Garvey, a special counsel and senior adviser to Cuomo, said in a statement, per the WSJ.
The reports come as Cuomo faces mounting criticism in recent days.
The reports come as Cuomo faces mounting criticism in recent days.
After months of largely positive coverage for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the governor is now facing renewed scrutiny for his administration's handling of the virus in nursing homes.
Additionally, 3 women, including 2 former staffers, have come forward with accusations against Cuomo of sexual harassment and/or inappropriate behavior. Multiple NY lawmakers have called on Cuomo to resign; Cuomo has apologized for that behavior but vowed to remain in office.
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