Res 1367-2020

Council Members Brannan and Chin Whereas, As of June 30, 2020, New York state reported 397,684 cases of COVID-19 and 31,143 deaths; and Whereas, On behalf of Heath and Human Services (HHS), the entity charged with enforcing compliance requirements, solving complaints and conducting proactive compliance audits, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) confirmed nursing homes have been severely impacted by COVID-19 with outbreaks causing high rates of infection, morbidity and mortality; and Whereas, The high incidence of death in nursing home and long-term care facilities has been attributed to the virus being lethal to aging and immune-comprised individuals; and Whereas, At the onset of the pandemic, insufficient training and a lack of COVID-19 testing and shortages of personnel protective equipment (PPE) may have hastened the viral spread among workers, many of whom had multiple jobs in congregate care settings, which put them at risk of contracting and spreading the virus from one location to another; and Whereas, Vulnerabilities inherent in nursing home settings include residents living in close proximity to one another with shared dining and recreational areas; and Whereas, In an effort to free up hospital beds during the peak of the pandemic on March 25, 2020 the New York State Department of Health notified nursing homes they must accept coronavirus patients deemed medically stable for discharge from hospitals who were still in need of convalescent care; and Whereas, In the absence of testing upon admission to congregate care facilities by newly discharged nursing home residents, COVID-19 claimed the life of a reported 6,000 people-six percent of New York state's 100,000 nursing home residents; and Whereas, Federal lawmakers have expressed concern that despite CMS's broad authority, failure to provide PPE, testing and oversight of nursing homes and long-term care facilities as was left to state and local officials contributed to the high number of confirmed cases and subsequent nursing home deaths; and Whereas, In New York state 21 percent-or nearly one in four-COVID-19 related deaths have occurred in long-term health care facilities with the majority being directly linked to adult care and assisted living facilities; and Whereas, In an effort to better prepare and equip New York congregate care facilities from additional negative impacts for current and future challenges from COVID-19; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York call on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A.10350A/S.8270A, in support of establishing requirements for residential healthcare facilities to protect and maintain the health and safety of residents and staff in a state of emergency during an outbreak of disease. LS 14984 7/15/20 CD 1