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U.S. NEWS Friday 29 January 2021

N.Y. undercounted nursing home deaths by thousands, AG says

By MARINA VILLENEUVE, ing" in October. "New York,
BERNARD CONDON and actually, we're number 46
MATT SEDENSKY out of 50 in terms of per-
Associated Press centage of deaths in nurs-
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New ing homes — 46 out of 50.
York may have under- So, yes, people died in nurs-
counted COVID-19 deaths ing homes. ... but 46 out of
among nursing home resi- 50, it's not a predominantly
dents by thousands, the New York problem."
state attorney general The attorney general's re-
charged in a report Thurs- port also took aim at New
day that dealt a blow to York's controversial March
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's oft- 25 policy that sought to
repeated claims that his create more space in hos-
state is doing better than pitals by releasing recover-
others in protecting its most ing COVID-19 patients into
vulnerable. nursing homes, which critics
The 76-page report found contended was a driving
an undercount of more factor in causing nursing
than 50%, backing up the home outbreaks.
findings of an Associated James' report said those
Press investigation last year admissions "may have con-
that focused on the fact tributed to increased risk
that New York is one of the In this Aug. 6, 2020, file photo, New York State Attorney General Letitia James adjusts her glasses of nursing home resident
only states in the nation that during a press conference in New York. Associated Press infection and subsequent
count residents who died fatalities," noting that at
on nursing home property counts to advance the of residents from COVID-19, nursing home residents who least 4,000 nursing home
and not those who later governor's image as a pan- while the state Department died in hospitals as well as residents with COVID-19
died in hospitals. demic hero. of Health logged only 1,229 the nursing home property. died after that guidance.
Such an undercount would "It's important to me that deaths at those same facili- Health Commissioner How- But James' report said the
mean the state's current of- my mom was counted," ties. One unnamed facility, ard Zucker has said several issue would require further
ficial tally of 8,711 nursing said Vivian Zayas, whose for example, had an offi- times that the state is work- study to conclusively prove
home deaths to the virus is 78-year-old mother died in cial death toll of 11 but the ing on such data. such a link.
actually more than 13,000, April after contracting CO- attorney general's probe State Sen. Gustavo Rive- New York's health depart-
boosting New York from VID-19 at a nursing home in found that 40 had actually ra, a Democrat who has ment released a much-crit-
No. 6 to highest in the na- West Islip, New York. "Fami- died. blasted the Cuomo admin- icized report last summer
tion. lies like mine knew these AP's analysis in August con- istration for its incomplete that claimed the March 25
"While we cannot bring numbers were not correct." cluded that the state could death count, said he was policy, which was reversed
back the individuals we lost Cuomo's office and the be understating deaths by "sadly unsurprised" by the in May, was "not a signifi-
to this crisis, this report seeks state health department as much as 65%, based on report. cant factor" in deaths.
to offer transparency that have not responded to re- discrepancies between its Cuomo, who last fall re- James' review also found
the public deserves," Attor- peated requests for com- totals and numbers being leased a book touting his that a lack of infection con-
ney General Letitia James ment. reported to federal regula- leadership in dealing with trols at nursing homes put
said in a statement. James has for months been tors. That analysis was, like the virus, has not been shy residents at increased risk
The report from a fellow examining discrepancies James' report, based on about using New York's of harm, that homes with
Democratic official under- between the number of only a slice of data, rather lower nursing home death lower federal scores for
cut Cuomo's frequent ar- deaths being reported by than a comprehensive count to make the argu- staffing had higher fatal-
gument that the criticism of the state's Department of look. ment that his state is doing ity rates, and that a broad
his handling of the virus in Health, and the number To date, despite public re- better than others in caring measure Cuomo signed
nursing homes was part of of deaths reported by the cords requests from the AP for those in such facilities. in April shielding nursing
a political "blame game," homes themselves. and repeated pleas from "There's also no doubt that homes and other health
and it was a vindication for Her investigators looked at state and federal lawmak- we're in this hyper-political care providers from lawsuits
thousands of families who a sample of 62 of the state's ers, New York's health de- environment so everybody may have actually encour-
believed their loved ones roughly 600 nursing homes. partment has yet to pro- wants to point fingers," aged homes to hold back
were being omitted from They reported 1,914 deaths duce the full number of Cuomo told CBS "This Morn- on hiring and training. q

Polygamous sect’s South Dakota compound in foreclosure

PRINGLE, S.D. (AP) — A compound in South compound sits along a gravel road and is group to be a prophet who speaks for God.
Dakota’s Black Hills held by a secretive po- shielded from view by tall pine trees, a privacy Warren Jeffs is serving a life sentence in Texas
lygamous sect is for sale after the group de- fence and a guard tower. for sexually assaulting underage girls he con-
faulted on a $1.6 million loan, according to a The FLDS is an offshoot of mainstream Mor- sidered to be his brides.
local sheriff. monism whose members believe polygamy In recent years, the group has lost hundreds of
Court documents show the Fundamentalist brings exaltation in heaven. Polygamy is a leg- members and control of the sister cities of Hil-
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ acy of the early teachings of the mainstream dale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona, amid
property near Pringle in Custer County is in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but a major leadership void started by Warren
foreclosure, KELO-TV reported. the faith abandoned the practice in 1890 and Jeffs’ imprisonment.
The 140-acre (57-hectare) property includes prohibits it today. Seth Jeffs took a plea deal in a multimillion-dol-
nine parcels of land. It will be sold as one dur- Seth Jeffs, who authorities have said led the lar food-stamp fraud case in 2016. His brother
ing an auction Feb. 25 at the Custer County FLDS compound in South Dakota, is the broth- Lyle Jeffs was sentenced in 2017 to prison for
Courthouse, said Sheriff Marty Mechaley. The er of Warren Jeffs, who is considered by the his role in carrying out the scheme.q