Statement on Interim Report on CT’s Nursing Home Pandemic Response

State Senator Kevin Kelly (R-Stratford), Ranking Member of the Aging Committee, released the following statement in response to an interim report released today on Connecticut’s response to COVID-19 in nursing homes. Findings include issues related to a lack of PPE and testing, a delay in issuing required mask order in facilities, insufficient monitoring and reporting, too much focus on hospitals not nursing homes, and a delay in getting covid-only facilities up and running:

“The overall findings of Mathematica’s initial review are alarming and only begin to touch on the many concerns I have heard from nursing homes, residents and their families. I fear that these issues reported today only begin to scratch the surface of what happened in our state that led to nearly three quarters of all COVID-19 deaths occurring amongst nursing home and assisted living facility residents. I have heard from nursing homes and residents’ families about continued issues with quality of PPE, delays in mandating and making testing available that I hope Mathematica will investigate these issues in the coming days. This initial report emphasizes the need to have more eyes and ears involved in making decisions that impact our most vulnerable populations. Many of these decisions were made unilaterally without involving the legislature or stakeholders closest to the situation. It’s clear the greatest generation paid the greatest price during this pandemic. We need urgency in correcting these issues and many others so that what happened this spring never happens to our most vulnerable again. It’s unfortunate that the generation that does not have time on their side is the generation most impacted by this pandemic, and they have already waited too long for answers from this administration.”