Mission Accomplished?
Andrew Cuomo criticized for writing mid-pandemic book about his response to the pandemic
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is wasting no time getting out a book on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic while the crisis continues to unfold.
Crown Books announced on Tuesday that the New York governor in October will publish American Crisis, his new book that describes "his personal reflections and the decision-making that shaped his policy" during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Hill reports.
New York was once the hardest-hit state in the United States during the coronavirus crisis, though its number of new cases and deaths has fallen significantly since then, and the state's infection rate has recently remained below one percent. But New York still leads the U.S. in COVID-19 fatalities at over 32,000. More than 6,000 deaths in the state have come from nursing homes, and The Associated Press reports this "could actually be a significant undercount."
Cuomo quickly faced criticism on Tuesday for his decision to release the book especially before the pandemic has actually ended, with The Associated Press noting it's "an unusual and risky case of reflecting on a crisis that is still ongoing."
A recent report in The New York Times described how although New York has been able to contain COVID-19 longer than expected, the state's "leaders are consumed by the likelihood that, any day now, their numbers will begin rising."