Brown: Covid-19 Claimed 80,000 New York Lives Since 2020—This Death Toll is Not to be Taken Lightly

A Statement from Assemblyman Keith P. Brown (R,C-Northport) in response to a Joint Minority Press Conference in Albany on March 25, 2024, calling for an independent review of New York state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“I am very proud Congressman Molinaro and my colleagues from both the Assembly and Senate Minority Conferences have come together to call for an independent COVID-19 study to be done. Families and individuals throughout our state were impacted in some capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic—daily life changed significantly, and many loved ones were lost.”

“It’s surreal that today marks the four-year anniversary of the infamous order issued by the New York State Department of Health, which required nursing homes to accept COVID-positive patients. Our state owes the thousands of grieving families who lost family members and friends answers.”

“80,000 New Yorkers did not have to die during the pandemic, whether in infected nursing homes, on the frontlines as essential workers or in over-crowded hospitals. It’s extremely important we review our state’s response to the pandemic, so we can better prepare for similar situations should they arise. Identifying the mistakes that were made since the pandemic began in March of 2020 could prevent COVID-related casualties on such a large scale from occurring in the future.”