Around this time a year ago, the name Andrew Cuomo was popular in politics, but I think it’s fair to say he wasn’t a typical household name. Well, a lot can change in a year. Andrew Cuomo is the infamous governor of New York, known around the United States for his handling of the coronavirus. 
Unless you were paying really close attention, you probably thought the way Gov. Cuomo has handled the pandemic has been magnificent. After all, there were calls for him to jump into the 2020 presidential election because of his so-called amazing leadership.
Gov. Cuomo even congratulated himself on how great of a job he was doing, and wrote a book about the “leadership lessons” he learned while handling the crisis.When he was not writing his book, he often joined his brother Chris Cuomo’s primetime show on CNN.
During these segments, the brothers would constantly joke back and forth about things like who was the favorite child and the size of the cotton swab used for the governor’s COVID-19 test. I am sure these were truly comical to all those suffering with COVID-19 — not!
Then there were the delightful daily briefings Gov. Cuomo held to inform his constituents about COVID-19. These briefings played such a monumental role in slowing the spread of the virus that the governor won an Emmy. Truly remarkable.
I definitely do not blame those who thought that the governor handled this crisis so well. I mean, when you have the media and Hollywood supporting him, it makes it seem like Gov. Cuomo is the golden standard for how to handle a pandemic. 
Contrary to what you might think, however, his handling of this pandemic could not have been worse.
In March of last year, the governor signed an executive order allowing infected COVID-19 patients into nursing homes. In what world this makes sense, I do not know. Just wait, though: it gets worse. 
As of right now, there have been 13,000 COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes in the state of New York. That number has been in question for a long time, and the suspicions were confirmed earlier this month when Gov. Cuomo’s secretary Melissa DeRosa admitted during a video conference with state democrats that the governor’s office hid nursing home deaths because they did not want it to be “used against them.”
This is despicable and I am glad it is starting to be investigated. To make matters even worse, when the governor was finally questioned about the issue he responded with the words “who cares?” The lack of empathy is mind boggling. 
To those who selected Gov. Cuomo for an Emmy: look at the numbers next time. Perhaps do not give an award to the governor whose state leads the Nation in COVID-19 deaths. Instead, look to leaders who did not put infected patients into nursing homes. 
To the media: hold the governor accountable. He signed this executive order almost a year ago, yet he has received more praise about his leadership than questions about his cover up. The families of those who passed away deserve more answers. 
Lastly, Gov. Cuomo: I have got some news for you. Who cares, you ask? I care. The people of your state care. Those who lost loved ones certainly care. I think it is time you start to care too. The people elected you to get the job done. Stop writing books, holding virtual birthday fundraisers and trying to hide your failure. Instead, start focusing on the constituents you are supposed to be leading.
Elizabeth Crochet is a 19-year-old political communication sophomore from New Orleans.