There is a new call for a statewide investigation into how the coronavirus pandemic is being handled in nursing homes.

Hundreds of New York nursing home residents have died. While the bulk of those deaths are downstate, one local representative calls the situation "absolutely horrendous."

"My concern is over management decisions, and how they have affected the quality of life, and in some cases the actual life or death of individual patients," said New York Assemblymember Marjorie Byrnes.

Byrnes is quick to praise the front line nursing home employees, but questions the actions of the state and the management of some nursing home facilities.

New York State's Attorney General is investigating some nursing facilities, but Byrnes is calling for a full-fledged state investigation into the industry as a whole and it's pandemic response. Byrnes is concerned about nursing homes in her 133rd assembly district, including Avon Nursing & Rehabilitation in Avon, New York.

"I continue to this day to get calls from relatives who have moms and dads that are in the facility and are really concerned," she says.

As of noon on Wednesday, May 13th, there were 18 positive cases of COVID-19 at this Avon home. Five of those people have passed away. This, at a facility with a total of 28 residents at that time.

"So we are talking about a small facility with a very devoted staff," said Byrnes.

Byrnes comments on the governor's decision in March mandating nursing homes to accept COVID positive residents, a decision that has since been rescinded. 

"That was the initial exceedingly bad judgment on the behalf of the governor and the Department of Health, which I think started this process," said Byrnes.

"Look, nursing homes are the most vulnerable people in the most vulnerable place," said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

Governor Cuomo has now called for testing of all nursing home staff twice a week. He commented during Wednesday's briefing when asked about nursing facilities.

"I can look you in the eyes and say we did everything that we could. As a society, you can't save everyone. You're going to lose people. That's life. That's somebody else's, in charge of that, much higher pay grade, but we did everything we could. I want to make sure the same is true until this is over. We did everything we could and testing staff twice a week. Yes, it's onerous, and I understand it's a pain, but we have to do everything we could do."

Byrnes says the community needs to know what has transpired inside the nursing homes so, as she puts it, "we don't ever go down this path again."