Assemblyman Joseph M. Giglio (R,C,I-Gowanda) joined other lawmakers and families on Thursday morning at a rally in Albany to honor those who were lost due to COVID-19 in nursing homes during the pandemic. The rally took place a year from the day that Gov. Andrew Cuomo implemented a controversial directive that mandated COVID-positive patients be placed into nursing homes, which likely caused many of the over 15,000 people lost to the pandemic to catch the virus within care centers.

“Each nursing home resident who died as a result of COVID has left behind family members who were denied the opportunity to be with them and comfort them as they neared the end of life,” said Giglio. “My heart goes out to every family member burdened with sorrow through the most tragic of circumstances. It was heartbreaking not only that they had to endure these experiences once, but then went on to relive their stories today in Albany. Investigations into the governor’s role in this tragedy must proceed swiftly because if his administration did have a hand in causing and covering up this monumental loss, he can no longer be trusted to lead our state.”