‘Coverup’ at Hebrew Home
More than 100 people have died at the Hebrew Home in Riverdale in just two months — many with suspected COVID-19 symptoms but not appearing in official state tallies — and whistleblowers at the facility claim it’s a coverup.
While the nursing home said 25 residents died at the home, or in hospitals, from confirmed and suspected COVID-19 in March and April, two insiders told The Post that 119 residents have died in the home alone in those two months.
The state Department of Health, meanwhile, lists only 18 deaths at the home as of May 8.
The staff was also ravaged — with at least 71 workers confirmed to have the virus, documents reviewed by The Post show.
There were 11 resident deaths on two days alone in April, according to internal records seen by The Post which did not list the cause of death. That two-day total was higher than the nine residents who died in all of January, two insiders said.
In April, 84 people died at the nursing home and 35 succumbed in March, the insiders said. There were so many bodies that an empty building was turned into a temporary morgue, the sources said.
“Was it just an extremely unlucky period? Or is there some other explanation for what’s going on? It’s obvious that there is,” one insider said, suggesting most of the 119 deaths were coronavirus-related.
The sources said the home is barely testing residents, claiming it won’t change treatment. But the lack of test results also allows the home to say it doesn’t have a confirmed case when someone dies.
One insider said administrators were “terrified about what the future is going to hold for them” if the large body count got out and impacted getting new residents. With 751 beds, the facility is the state’s largest private nursing home.
The Post has learned that the Hebrew Home is under probe after a complaint was made to the state Labor Department about nonclinical staff being mandated to come in, the insiders said, noting the investigation had been forwarded to the state Attorney General.
The AG’s office said it was “aware of allegations at this facility, and are looking into them” but would not elaborate.
Hebrew Home records reviewed by The Post showed that the coronavirus was rampant in the facility. At least 41 residents tested positive for the bug from March 18 to May 6, some of whom were tested at the hospital, according to daily memos sent to staff.
Gov. Cuomo said nursing homes submit fatality numbers to the DOH “under penalty of perjury.”
A spokeswoman for the nursing home said it “complied with all New York State Department of Health regulations and guidelines.”
“The Hebrew Home stands by its transparent communications and reporting of suspected and confirmed COVID cases and deaths,” said Wendy Steinberg.