Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning) joined Congressman Marc Molinaro (R-19), Vivian Zayas,Co-founder of Voices for Seniors, Tracey Alvino, Director of Voices for Seniors, and his Minority colleagues in both the Senate and Assembly to, once again, call for an independent review of how the state handled the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically the order from DOH to force nursing homes to accept COVID-positive individuals.

“We are now four years removed from the COVID-19 pandemic, but yet we will still have not had a proper independent, unbiased review of the state's actions taken during the pandemic. Specifically, we have no answers about how or why nursing homes were forced to take in patients who had contracted the COVID-19 virus. This resulted in the deaths of 15,000 nursing home patients, as they were among the most vulnerable populations in regard to getting and having a severe response to COVID. We must review this policy to have a clearer picture of why this decision was made, and why the total numbers of deaths were covered up for so long. It is imperative this independent review take place to help ensure something like this never happens again. To do anything less would be an insult to those who died and their families because of this tragic decision,” said Palmesano.