There were few more terrifying places to be than nursing homes or other long-term care facilities when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. These facilities experienced some of the greatest crises when it came to infection control, and they house some of the most vulnerable citizens of New York. This led to disastrous numbers when it came to serious COVID-19 cases and fatalities.
People have had difficulty accessing exact figures on how many nursing home deaths happened in New York City and across the state. This is because it appears that Governor Cuomo and other officials attempted to underreport nursing home fatalities due to COVID-19. At the beginning of 2021, New York Department of Health (DOH) reports indicated that about 8,700 residents of facilities passed away due to COVID-19 complications.
However, an investigation quickly ensued when legal organizations filed a claim under New York’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) to get accurate numbers. Quickly after, the NY DOH updated its numbers, showing almost double the number of COVID-related fatalities in nursing homes than initially reported.
These are updated number regarding resident fatalities as of March 2021:
Total fatalities:
- 9,564 inside facilities
- 5,866 outside facilities (such as after hospital transfers)
- 15,430 total fatalities
Fatalities of nursing homes residents:
- 9,335 inside facilities
- 4,290 outside facilities
- 13,625 total fatalities
Fatalities of assisted living facility residents:
- 153 inside facilities
- 672 outside facilities
- 825 total fatalities
Fatalities of other adult care programs:
- 76 inside facilities
- 904 outside facilities
- 980 total fatalities
As you can see, these numbers are quite different from the initial 8,700 total fatalities reported. We are only now getting an idea of how hard COVID-19 hit New York nursing home residents. Below is a closer look at the fatal impact of COVID-19 on New York City nursing home residents.
New York County (Manhattan)
- Total COVID-19-related deaths at all types of long-term care facilities = 749
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 714
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 301
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 196
- Out-of-facility nursing home resident deaths = 217
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 11
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 4
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 4
- Out-of-facility assisted living facility resident deaths = 3
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 24
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 0
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 2
- Out-of-facility other adult care facility resident deaths = 22
Kings County (Brooklyn)
- Total COVID-19-related deaths at all types of long-term care facilities = 1,544
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 1,405
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 310
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 619
- Out-of-facility nursing home resident deaths = 476
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 36
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 7
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 4
- Out-of-facility assisted living facility resident deaths = 25
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 103
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 0
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 3
- Out-of-facility other adult care facility resident deaths = 100
Bronx County (The Bronx)
- Total COVID-19-related deaths at all types of long-term care facilities = 1,431
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 1,322
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 339
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 505
- Out-of-facility nursing home resident deaths = 478
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 13
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 1
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 0
- Out-of-facility assisted living facility resident deaths = 12
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 96
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 6
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 1
- Out-of-facility other adult care facility resident deaths = 89
Richmond County (Staten Island)
- Total COVID-19-related deaths at all types of long-term care facilities = 469
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 425
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 146
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 182
- Out-of-facility nursing home resident deaths = 97
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 10
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 4
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 0
- Out-of-facility assisted living facility resident deaths = 6
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 34
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 0
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 1
- Out-of-facility other adult care facility resident deaths = 33
Queens County (Queens)
- Total COVID-19-related deaths at all types of long-term care facilities = 1,874
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 1,652
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 486
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in nursing homes = 513
- Out-of-facility nursing home resident deaths = 653
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 25
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 5
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in assisted living facilities = 1
- Out-of-facility assisted living facility resident deaths = 19
- Total COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 197
- Confirmed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 2
- Presumed COVID-19-related deaths in other adult care facilities = 6
- Out-of-facility other adult care facility resident deaths = 189
Many of the fatalities happened outside of the long-term care facilities, though this is only because those facilities transferred many residents with severe cases to nearby hospitals or medical centers. These should still count as nursing home fatalities, as the residents contracted the virus at their facility.
Did Your Loved One Die from COVID-19 in an NYC Nursing Home?
New York City nursing home residents were particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 exposure due to common comorbidities among nursing home residents. However, nursing homes themselves are also responsible for proper action when it comes to infectious cases in their facilities.
Some errors nursing homes made to increase the risk of COVID-19 fatalities include:
- Not conducting frequent testing on residents
- Not isolating infected residents fast enough
- Failing to identify when a resident was developing a severe case of COVID-19
- Not transferring residents to medical facilities with proper equipment when needed
Tragically, many of the COVID-19 fatalities in New York City nursing homes were avoidable. Your family might want to discuss the circumstances of your loved one’s death with a New York City nursing home injury attorney.
