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NY Health Officials Underreported COVID-19 Deaths, AG Finds
The New York attorney general on Thursday accused the state health department of undercounting COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes by as much as 50% in a blistering report that faulted poor infection controls and understaffing as the pandemic ravaged the frail and elderly.
State health officials have said 6,645 people died in nursing homes as of Nov. 16. But New York State Attorney General Letitia James' 76-page report found that the state had underreported the number of deaths in nursing homes, and that facilities with lower staffing and poor compliance with existing regulations — including failure to isolate sick residents, continued group activities and lax employee screening — increased health risks.
The report also buttressed longstanding complaints that insufficient testing and inadequate personal protective equipment, or PPE, at nursing homes increased the risk of harm.
"As the pandemic and our investigations continue, it is imperative that we understand why the residents of nursing homes in New York unnecessarily suffered at such an alarming rate," said James. "While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves and to spur increased action to protect our most vulnerable residents."
Adjusting the COVID-19 Response
How Law Firms Are Altering Austerity Measures
Many law firms implemented pay cuts, layoffs and other austerity measures in the spring and summer in response to economic pressures the coronavirus pandemic created. Months later, some of them have either rolled back some austerity measures or made additional cuts, or some combination of the two.
We will continue to update this page as more firms announce changes. For a more complete description of the austerity measures implemented earlier this year, see our past coverage here.
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