DOJ presses New York for information about COVID deaths in nursing homes

The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday increased the size of an inquiry which could reveal if the state is lowballing the number of COVID-19 fatalities among New York nursing home residents.

The Associated Press reported that the DOJ is calling for information from hundreds of private facilities. 

The news outlet said that the DOJ letter requested a breakout of hospital fatalities that the health department has not shared publicly, and expands to over 600 facilities a similar request from earlier this year targeting a much smaller number of public facilities.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been facing criticism that the state's reported fatality count at long-term care establishments severely misrepresents the actual number of deaths, the AP noted.

The state only counts those residents who pass away on the nursing home premises but not those who die at the hospital.

An August AP analysis said that the state is likely undercounting such fatalities by thousands.