Andrew Cuomo slammed after scathing report lays bare ex-NY Gov's mishandling of Covid response

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A damning new report has lambasted former Governor Andrew Cuomo for his handling of New York's COVID-19 response, accusing him of sidelining state health officials to micromanage the pandemic from the executive office.

The 262-page report by The Olson Group, a consulting firm, reveals a series of significant missteps that allegedly exacerbated the state's crisis during the early stages of the pandemic.

Andrew Cuomo’s alleged mismanagement

The report criticizes Cuomo for disregarding established health department protocols designed to address the virus

"The state had the plans but did not follow them because the executive chamber wanted to do their own thing," said one official interviewed by the authors. "If the state had used the plans that were available and written, then, yes, they would have had the proper plans in place. But instead, we were stuck with all these executive orders."

The Olson Group's investigation revealed that the Cuomo administration abandoned preparedness plans that designated the state health department to lead the response. Instead, Cuomo assumed direct control, resulting in confusion and inefficiency.

The report stated, "The structures developed through hard-won experience from events including 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy were largely ignored and the state’s chief executive office served as the central point of the response."

A notable example of Cuomo’s alleged mismanagement was his decision to disregard the health department's plan for community-based vaccination sites. Instead, Cuomo directed that "hub hospitals" administer the vaccines, despite their lack of capacity to do so effectively. This undermined the state's vaccination efforts, contributing to delays and logistical issues.

The report further elaborates, "Although decisive actions were widely praised during the early stages of the pandemic, his failure to shift to full incorporation of the state’s established institutions in coordinating the ongoing response operation resulted in unnecessary confusion at a time when New Yorkers needed clarity."

The Cuomo administration's handling of nursing home fatalities also came under severe criticism. The report labeled the state’s reporting as “lacking in transparency,” echoing one of the biggest controversies surrounding Cuomo during the pandemic.

"The state did not consider the appearance of impropriety related to how it was reporting COVID-19 nursing home deaths until the public was already upset, having noticed and reported the discrepancies," the report stated.

While the report does not explicitly link Cuomo's approach to an increase in cases or deaths, it highlights the Empire State’s grim toll of 77,000 deaths during the pandemic. The report also underscores the broader impact of Cuomo's decisions, noting that the pandemic overwhelmed the state’s health and educational systems and crippled the business and retail sectors.

Defense from Andrew Cuomo's camp and what led to report's release

Cuomo’s spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, defended the former governor, asserting that Cuomo "brought the unified force of government to bear" during the crisis.

“His daily press briefings were internationally recognized for providing the facts amid a chaotic lack of a national response to this pandemic where 1.2 million Americans lost their lives,” Azzopardi said.

“While this report cuts through the political garbage that has consumed the nursing home issue and points out how circumstances were consistent nationwide, it’s ridiculous to suggest that this pandemic response be treated the same as H1N1 or Legionnaires outbreaks,” he insisted.

“The truth is in the numbers,” he added. “In 2020 New York was number 39 in terms of pro rata nursing home deaths, according to federal stats, and and we went from having the second most deaths because New York was hit first and hardest to 30th.”

The report’s release, which cost $4.3 million, follows Cuomo’s testimony before the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. The GOP majority on the panel accused Cuomo of deflecting responsibility for policies that led to the transfer of sick patients into senior care facilities in 2020.

The report emphasized that this controversy was part of a broader "theme of mistrust" in the handling of the pandemic.

Ken Girardin, director of research at the Empire Center for Public Policy, dismissed the Olson report as "little more than a high school term paper" on the state’s COVID crisis.

“The biggest cost incurred by the state government was the theft from the unemployment system,” Girardin said. “There appears to have been zero investigation into the warning signs and failures at NYS DOI.”

Governor Kathy Hochul, when asked about the report, acknowledged the need for improved pandemic preparedness. "We knew that things had to be done differently, they had to be done better and we had to prepare for the possibility that this would happen again," Hochul said.

She highlighted increased funding for the state Office of Emergency Management and a $1.7 billion investment in a new research lab as steps taken to better equip the state for future crises, the New York Post reported.

Andrew Cuomo slammed on social media

Following the report's release, social media was ablaze with criticism of Cuomo.

"Isn’t it ironic that he published a book touting his COVID management?" one posted on X.

"Funny, he was being touted as the model when he was in office," another noted.

"He did criminally mismanage it," someone else offered.

"I'm not surprised," a comment read.

"What will happen to him? Nothing, of course," another fumed. 

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