State confirms some nursing home death data withheld

Cuomo administration confirms, defends withholding data

On Friday, state Department of Health spokesman Gary Holmes confirmed "out-of-facility deaths were held aside for verification." The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times reported late Thursday that aides to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the state Health Department made changes to its nursing home status report in July that undercounted deaths of nursing home residents.

"The decision was made to initially release the report without the out-of-facility data and to later update the report to include the out-of-facility deaths," Holmes said. "This was done in February and as Dr. [Harold] Zucker had testified to the Legislature, the conclusions remained the same as in July."

The data was released by the Cuomo administration in the summer under pressure from legislators, news media and relatives of nursing home residents. The Cuomo administration now says more than 15,000 nursing home residents died or were presumed to have died in homes, hospitals or other long-term care facilities.

"If any state employee knowingly whitewashed an official report to cover up the deaths of New Yorkers, that is unacceptable and unethical, at best," tweeted Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach), who is a former federal prosecutor. "We need to get answers now, and this whole thing reeks."

State Attorney General Latitia James found in her January study of nursing home data that the Cuomo administration had undercounted deaths of nursing home residents by as much as 50%. A U.S. Justice Department criminal investigation is underway.

The chart below shows the percentages of Long Islanders who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and those who have been fully vaccinated.

Search a map of new cases and view more charts containing data on new cases, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.

Outbreak at the Northport VA hospital

Seven staff members and 11 veterans contracted COVID-19 last month in a medical ward of the Northport VA Medical Center, a spokesman confirmed.

VA officials identified the outbreak Feb. 24 after two veterans who had been admitted tested positive for the virus, said Chad Cooper, a VA public affairs officer. The other positive cases were identified through contact tracing.

Some of the affected veterans had been released from the hospital when they were diagnosed. Three were readmitted because of their symptoms but no patient has died as a result of the outbreak, the hospital said.

"This could have, potentially, been a lot larger," Cooper said. Isolated outbreaks are "going to be the new norm … We have strict protocols to identify, control and mitigate risks."

Veterans who need to be vaccinated can get their COVID-19 shots at the Northport VA Medical Center on Monday. The walk-in clinic is offering the vaccine to qualifying veterans 65 and older from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or until supply runs out, Cooper said. No appointment is required. Not a veteran? See our guide for finding vaccine appointments.

More vaccines for seniors. More temporary vaccination sites popped up on Long Island Friday to reach senior citizens on the East End and members of the region's growing Indian community, part of a larger state push to improve access to the COVID-19 shots.

Charles Holmes, dedicated firefighter, dies at 92

It didn't matter what time of the day or night it was. When the call came from the Bay Shore Fire Department, Charles Holmes responded.

Even after 73 years of fighting fires, the Brightwaters resident would roust himself from bed to go wherever he was needed. Holmes was still answering calls as recently as December, sometimes over the objections of his family.

"In the middle of the night," said his nephew Danny Holmes, a fellow Bay Shore firefighter, "he was the guy on the corner directing traffic."

Only the scourge of COVID-19 could stop Charles Holmes from serving his community.

After several weeks battling a bad heart and other ailments, Charles Holmes died on Feb. 16 at South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore. The cause was pneumonia and the coronavirus, said his daughter, Lauralee Bennett.

Young LI entrepreneur was clued in early to need for PPE

Pre-COVID, Teddy Haggerty, a 25-year-old entrepreneur, had already built a strong foundation for his Plainview-based industrial safety supplies distributor.

Since 2018, Defender Safety had been servicing the construction industry with everything from hard hats to harnesses and had been in growth mode since inking a deal with a major national safety equipment distributor in 2019.

But with the mandated shutdown last March, construction work suddenly came to a halt.

"All job sites were shut down" — and so was that revenue stream, said Haggerty, who grew up in Syosset and now lives in Oyster Bay.

But because of the global nature of his business, he had early awareness about the growing need for personal protective equipment. He said he started getting queries about health care PPE, like masks and gloves, from people worldwide around the end of 2019.

"We weren’t doing health care PPE at the time," said Haggerty, who saw the opportunity to pivot.

More to know

Five-day-a-week schooling in person will be offered to all of New York City’s 1.1 million public school students beginning in September, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday.

Homebound Long Islanders face huge obstacles trying to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as there is no coordinated program designed for them.

U.S. employers added a robust 379,000 jobs last month, the most since October and a sign that the economy is strengthening as confirmed viral cases drop, consumers spend more and states and cities ease business restrictions.

The Miss Universe competition will return after a year and a half off with a live telecast on May 16 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida.

The strange saga of Derrick Rose’s status took another twist when the Knicks point guard was ruled out of Thursday night’s game against the Pistons because of health and safety protocols.

News for you

St. Patrick's Day your way. Whether you're looking to dine in or takeout, for more traditional dishes or more expressive varieties of corned beef like spring rolls and poutine, we've got you covered with our guide to restaurants offering St. Patrick's Day specials this month.

A tribute to The Who. Tilles Center at LIU Post in Brookville might not be open to the public just yet, but the stage lights will be turned on for a virtual concert experience, "Reflections of ‘Who’s Next," celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Who’s landmark album. Long Island rock group Wonderous Stories will serve as the house band with a three-piece horn section plus four professional Broadway singers. The performance will be shot next week and then made available to stream nationally.

Apps for your health. Over the past year, most of us have been worried about our health more than ever. These apps can help you manage yours from accessing doctors 24/7 to finding the best prices for prescription drugs. There's even one to remind you take your pills.

Your weekend plans. A virtual polar plunge and drive-thru Greek food fest are among the activities on tap for this weekend.

Plus: If you and your dog are looking to romp around on the beach, this is your last chance for the season to do so at the Fire Island National Seashore. Space is limited to ensure social distancing.

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Commentary

U.S. vaccine hoarding is alienating the rest of the world. Bloomberg Opinion columnist Mihir Sharma writes: Those Americans who cheered President Joe Biden's announcement this week that the U.S. would have enough vaccines to inoculate every citizen by the end of July might want to note the cold silence with which the rest of the world greeted the news. Biden's triumphalism was more than a little grating, considering that the U.S., alongside most other rich countries, has essentially chosen to corner the market on shots that are desperately needed elsewhere.

Just this Monday, the Mexican president asked Biden to share some of the U.S. vaccine supply, promising to return the favor when Mexico, which has the world's third-highest COVID-19 death toll, receives its contracted deliveries a few months from now. When asked if Biden would grant the request, the White House press secretary replied with a flat no.

The world had hoped "America First" would end when Biden replaced former president Donald Trump. It hasn't. Before considering sharing even a portion of its supply with the rest of the world, the U.S. intends to vaccinate every American who wants a jab. Biden's White House did offer up $4 billion through 2022 for the COVAX fund, which buys vaccines for poorer countries. But that money won't help much right now if there are no shots available on the market. Continue reading.