29 March 2020: Governor Cuomo Acknowledges "Toxic Mix"

Cuomo says virus and nursing homes a ‘toxic mix’; 8,519 cases in Westchester

This is one of the earliest reports confirming that Governor Cuomo and his administration's public health officials were very well aware of the risk of their policy from a very early date. Note that this report came just 9 days after Governor Cuomo ordered New Yorkers to stay-at-home and business closures statewide. Also note that he was fighting President Trump's proposed quarantine of New York City and the surrounding counties (including in New Jersey and Connecticut) that have seen the highest rates of coronavirus-related infections and deaths in the U.S.

Here's a key quote from the article confirming Governor Cuomo knew what the consequences of placing contagious coronavirus patients in nursing homes were:

“This virus preys on the vulnerable. It preys on seniors. It preys on people with compromised immune systems and underlying illnesses. And coronavirus in a nursing home can be like fire in dry grass,” Cuomo said.

And so it was. It's not like this information wasn't known by the state of New York's top officials responsible for managing the state's epidemic response. They knowingly chose to do it anyway.