New York City health officials are in hot water after critics say they fudged the state’s coronavirus death total.
The fatalities skyrocketed by nearly 4,000 after authorities began including people who died without ever being tested for COVID-19.
The state added 3,778 people to the list of Wuhan flu deaths –– but they’re not certain any of them actually had the virus.
They “probably” did, officials are saying.
The near-4,000 deaths added launched the citywide total deaths to 10,000.
Officials reported 3,778 “probable” deaths and 6,589 deaths confirmed by a lab test.
President Donald Trump, after receiving the news, said that Mayor Bill de Blasio was “padding” the death totals, during a Wednesday press conference.
“I see this morning where New York added 3,000 deaths because they died,” he said, “and now they’re saying rather than it was (a) heart attack, they’re saying it was a heart attack by this, so they’re adding.”
“Behind every death is a friend, a family member, a loved one. We are focused on ensuring that every New Yorker who died because of COVID-19 gets counted,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. “While these data reflect the tragic impact that the virus has had on our city, they will also help us to determine the scale and scope of the epidemic and guide us in our decisions.”
New Yorkers continue to die at an unnerving pace even as the number of patients in hospitals has leveled off.
Earlier Tuesday, officials said 778 deaths were recorded statewide Monday, bringing New York’s total to more than 10,800. That figure, though, did not factor in the “probable” deaths now being counted in New York City.
The Associated Press contributed to this article