Rep. Goldman asks CDC if Cuomo’s much-maligned COVID nursing home edict violated US policy
Rep. Dan Goldman is once again criticizing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the COVID‑19 outbreak as he gears up for a likely primary against City Comptroller Brad Lander, who dropped out of the mayoral race to support Zohran Mamdani.
Goldman, a Democrat from Manhattan and Brooklyn, has sent a letter to acting CDC Director James O’Neil asking whether Cuomo’s March 25, 2020 order that forced nursing homes to accept patients who had recovered from COVID was in line with federal public‑health rules. The letter, obtained by this outlet, states:
“I am requesting clarification on whether this order was consistent with federal public health guidelines at the time,” Goldman wrote. “This directive put many residents at risk of increased harm.”
He added that even though the order was revoked six weeks later, “over 15,000 New York nursing home residents died of COVID‑19 during the early pandemic.” Goldman also notes the directive prevented homes from testing residents before allowing them to enter again.
The timing is notable. Lander, a fellow Democrat who has recently become a key ally of Mamdani, is poised to challenge Goldman for the congressional seat, and the congressman appears to be sharpening his political attack on Cuomo ahead of that battle.
Coincidentally, a report from the House Select Subcommittee on the COVID‑19 Pandemic—run by fellow Democrats—had already blasted Cuomo for allegedly manipulating nursing‑home death counts and undercounting fatalities that occurred after patients were transferred to hospitals.
Goldman cited that report in his own request, seeking a definitive answer from the CDC. He asked for a response by December 12, emphasizing:
“Though we cannot bring back the loved ones lost, we must provide families with accountability and resolution.”
Some analysts have argued that Cuomo’s directive led to thousands of deaths among elderly residents. The Republican‑controlled House panel went even further, labeling the order “medical malpractice” and “antithetical to known science” and accusing the Cuomo administration of attempting to cover it up.
Cuomo’s spokesperson, Richard Azzopardi, defended the former governor’s actions, claiming Goldman was using the pandemic for political gain. He noted that the Department of Justice Inspector General, the State Attorney General, and New York State’s independent after‑action report all found the Department of Health guidance to be consistent with general guidelines.
“It’s sad and pathetic that primary politics have made him stoop to Brad Lander’s level—especially after seeing that didn’t work out so well for him,” Azzopardi said.
In December, Lander himself wrote to the CDC, asking for an assessment of whether the March 2020 order violated federal policy.
The Post has requested a comment from the CDC. Robert Kennedy Jr., the Health and Human Services secretary who oversees the agency, is the former brother‑in‑law of Cuomo.
Peter Arbeeny, whose 89‑year‑old father Norman died from COVID after a rehabilitation stay in a Brooklyn nursing home, said he convinced Goldman to draft the letter.
The Arbeeny family, along with other plaintiffs, filed a negligence lawsuit in federal court against Cuomo and other state officials over the nursing‑home directive, but the case was dismissed twice.
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