Approved February 17, 2021

RESOLUTION OF THE GREATER UTICA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DEMANDING THE LEGISLATURE TO IMMEDIATELY RESCIND GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO’S PANDEMIC EMERGENCY POWERS AND OPEN A FULL INVESTIGATION

WHEREAS; Governor Andrew Cuomo issued executive orders in response to the Covid 19 virus outbreak that altered or suspended numerous existing laws within the State of New York; and

WHEREAS; these extraordinary measures included an order to place elderly citizens stricken with the Covid virus into nursing homes that were not equipped to treat such patients; and

WHEREAS; the decision to order Covid patients into nursing homes caused a massive spread of the virus to other nursing home residents who were not initially infected; and

WHEREAS; the New York State Attorney General recently issued a report indicating the number of nursing home deaths related to the spread of the Covid virus may have been underreported by the Cuomo administration by as much as fifty percent; and

WHEREAS; a senior aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo has now admitted that the Cuomo administration intentionally underreported the number of Covid related deaths in nursing homes resulting from the Governor’s decision to place infected people into nursing homes; and

WHEREAS; it is now abundantly clear that the Cuomo administration deliberately misled the federal government and the residents of New York State in an attempt to cover up the results his policy decision that directly led to as many as 13,000 Covid fatalities in nursing homes; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED; that, in order to preserve the regional economy and the economy of New York State, the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce demands the legislature to immediately rescind Governor Andrew Cuomo’s pandemic emergency powers and open a full investigation into the entire nursing home scandal, including the erroneous reporting of nursing home fatalities by the executive branch.