New York’s nursing homes weren’t allowed to challenge a controversial order to admit patients with the coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday — even though it’s been blamed for spreading the deadly disease among residents. “They don’t have a right to object. That is the rule and that is the regulation and they have to comply with that,” Cuomo said during his daily briefing in Albany.
— New York Post, 4/23/20

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “rule” had deadly consequences.

Nearly two months later, more than 2,300 New York nursing home and assisted facility residents have died from Covid-19, with another 2,500-plus presumed to have died from the virus, according to new state Department of Health county-level data.
— Politico, 5/6/20

Governor Andrew Cuomo is now forcing businesses to deny service in New York City to anyone not wearing a mask. Did he think including Brooklyn residents Chris Rock and Rosie Perez in his daily presser would take the sting out his new mandate?

On the governor’s website, the YouTube video of the press conference is embedded. However, the media Q&A which immediately followed was abruptly edited out to prevent public viewing and for good reason.

We present the end of the omitted Q&A segment….

Did he really think laughing about another possible Coronavirus death was apropos? Meanwhile, his paraphrasing of the comments of a student on spring break was a tad embellished.

Obviously, someone in the governor’s office realized that few would laugh with Cuomo’s reaction to Chris Rock’s brand of morbid humor. Could be one reason why so many didn’t want New Yorkers fleeing COVID-19 into their states.

FACT CHECK

There is no indication that spring break partygoer Brady Sluder has died. He was shamed into issuing a public apology.