By Hadassa Kalatizadeh
A new poll shows that most New Yorkers believe that Governor Andrew Cuomo should have done a better job managing the Coronavirus pandemic in nursing homes.
The nursing home debacle is still very much at the forefront of people’s minds- with thousands of vulnerable residents at nursing homes dead from the novel virus, and recent evidence that state officials covered up the true numbers to save face. A poll released on Tuesday, February 23, by the Marist College revealed that forty-one percent of voters agree Cuomo has done something unethical, not necessarily illegal, in his handling of the pandemic in NYS nursing homes. Another 19 percent of voters were even harsher on the governor, saying he has done something illegal. Just 27 percent of voters polled said they think Gov. Cuomo has done no wrong.
As reported by the NY Post, the poll interviews took place from Feb. 15 to 17, which was days after news broke that the governor’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, admitted that the administration intentionally withheld the full death toll in nursing homes for months. DeRosa’s comments have now led to a fresh federal investigation by the Eastern District of New York into the nursing home debacle. Gov. Cuomo has hotly defended his state Health Department’s actions, saying that he stands behind them, even if maybe they could have released the numbers sooner.
The Marist poll also found that 54 percent of people questioned currently approve of how the third-term governor is handling the pandemic. That is significantly lower than the 72 percent approval he enjoyed in July. Also, Cuomo’s job performance since the summer now got a thumbs up from 49 percent of residents, down from a 66 percent approval rating in July. The poll, which interviewed 953 people with a 3.8 margin of error, also found that Cuomo’s approval waned among Democrats. In July, only 9 percent of Dems disapproved of his job performance, but that number is now up to 28 percent.
“Cuomo’s approval rating, which was sky high in the summer, has returned to its pre-pandemic level,” said Dr. Lee M. Miringoff, Director of The Marist Poll. “Should Cuomo decide to seek a fourth term, these results suggest it will be a challenge. That said, his current numbers are comparable to what they were when he faced the voters last time.” Overall, some 50 percent of residents currently have a favorable view of the Democratic governor, only slightly below the 54 percent in a 2018 poll.
