Bernard Condon, investigative reporter, New York; Matt Sedensky, national writer, New York; and Meghan Hoyer, data editor, Washington, analyzed available data to show that New York’s coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, already among the nation’s highest, is likely undercounted by thousands. New York is the only state among those with major outbreaks that only counts residents who died on nursing home property, not in hospitals, leading to speculation the administration of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is manipulating its figures to make it appear it is doing better on nursing homes than other states.
AP’s team – which also included Jim Mustian, Marina Villeneuve and investigative researcher Randy Herschaft – documented how Cuomo himself has touted New York’s relatively low nursing home percentage and how his health administrators have refused to provide the complete figures.