Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on January 5, 2022
The Manhattan District Attorney has announced that they will not bring any charges against former Governor Andrew Cuomo in relation to the handling of nursing homes during the early stages of the COVID pandemic and subsequent coverup of the numbers of dead. A lawyer for Cuomo says they have been informed that “after a thorough investigation there was no evidence to suggest any laws were broken.” Cuomo administration officials admitted to underreporting the number of people who died in nursing homes from COVID by as much as 50 percent in February of 2021. The estimate is now that over 15,000 elderly people died. Cuomo was also under fire for a policy that sent COVID positive patients to nursing homes to free up hospital space which many allege caused a large portion of the deaths.
The Better Business Bureau issued a warning Tuesday about fake COVID tests, vaccines and treatments going out into the market. According to the FDA, scammers are selling fraudulent test kits online and are taking advantage of shortages in stores to dupe desperate people. There are also fake vaccines being sold. The BBB reminds us that the vaccines are free and should only be given at authorized sites by authorized workers. Vaccines are not available for home administration. Tests can be covered by insurance and you should go through your doctor to determine where to get tests. Never share your personal information, medical or financial, with a stranger.
The Batavia VA Medical Center has suspended all physical visitation. Visitors to the Community Living Center will only be allowed to visit with a glass partition between them and the resident. Screening, including a temperature check, and wearing of a VA provided face mask will still be practiced for all visitors.
The Justice Department has awarded several grants to Western New York organizations to assist in fighting Human trafficking. Over 2 million dollars was awarded to the International Institute of Buffalo for housing assistance and youth services to victims of human trafficking, 800,000 dollars has been given to the Erie County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyer Project for legal services for victims of human trafficking, and Erie county has been awarded 750,000 dollars for their efforts. This is part of over 10 million given to groups and organizations across western ny and the finger lake region.
