In the months following the [Gov. Andrew] Cuomo Administration’s March 2020 order forcing nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients, we have learned the administration leaned heavily on misinformation, cover-ups, and outright lies to avoid taking responsibility for one of the worst public-health decisions in recent memory. More than 15,000 long-term care residents died during the pandemic, and their families continue to wait for answers.

The former governor [recently] had a chance to give thousands of families some closure by owning up to his mistakes and providing real answers when he testified before Congress about the state’s handling of the pandemic. Unfortunately, Cuomo did nothing of the sort.

Instead, we got more of the same finger-pointing and misdirection. As he has done time and again, the former governor deflected responsibility and refused to acknowledge the facts. His administration’s actions led to people dying in adult-care facilities, then it intentionally undercounted those deaths by several thousand — in reality, Cuomo underreported the death toll by 50 percent and was called out by Attorney General Letitia James for doing so.

Making matters worse, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Cuomo’s former lieutenant, seems uninterested in righting the wrongs of her predecessor. The independent report she ordered from Virginia–based consulting firm the Olson Group to investigate the matter was woefully inadequate.

We have been talking about the state’s COVID-19 response for too long. It has been more than four years of vagaries and finger pointing, and it has been nearly impossible to move on for many of those directly affected. Massive mistakes were made at the state level, which should never be repeated, but they must first be honestly acknowledged. Neither the Cuomo nor Hochul administrations seem interested in doing so, and that has become apparent every time the matter is publicly raised.

The Assembly Minority Conference, good government groups, and officials from both political parties have repeatedly demanded the truth from former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. We have introduced legislation, written letters, repeatedly requested hearings, called for subpoenas, and demanded answers on behalf of those impacted, because an open and honest dialogue about what happened still hasn’t taken place. We will continue to seek answers for the sake of our state and the thousands of families who lost their loved ones, and it is my sincere hope we can finally close the book on this dark chapter of failed leadership.               

William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.