New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed into law a measure that will allow for coronavirus-related lawsuits against nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
The measure repeals protections Cuomo put in place during the pandemic to safeguard certain essential businesses from negligent lawsuits, granting them liability immunity.
New York has seen over 15,000 coronavirus-related deaths in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
The bill signing comes as Cuomo is under federal investigation for an alleged cover-up that hid the true number of coronavirus deaths in nursing home deaths.
The probe is expected to review a mandate from Cuomo that required nursing homes take in COVID-19 patients who had recovered in hospitals. The Cuomo administration blames asymptomatic nursing home workers for spreading the virus to facilities.