NYC official whose mother died from virus: 'Trump has blood on his hands'

New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s mother Arlene Stringer-Cuevas died on Friday as a result of complications from coronavirus.

From the April 6 edition of CNN’s “Coronavirus Pandemic”:

SCOTT STRINGER: If you had said to me what would ultimately have my mother fall, I never thought it would be some virus. And it is still hard to get around that.

 

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: Wow.

 

STRINGER: But look, in New York City this is playing out in so many families, and I’ve got to tell you, Donald Trump has blood on his hands and he has my mom’s blood on his hands, and he sent us a hospital that’s right here in the Manhattan harbor and no one can get on that hospital. This is something that is just outrageous.

 

And so its very tough to mourn under these circumstances.

 

COOPER: You’re angry about that.

 

STRINGER: I think we all are. I mean, government’s supposed to protect our people, and we’re supposed to be able to protect our parents and grandparents the way they protected us, and we’re not able to do that. And perhaps the most — the thing I struggle with the most is — how do you mourn at a time when you can’t connect with people?

 

There can’t be a funeral, there can’t be a traditional shiva, there’s no way to reach out to my stepfather and see him personally because he’s quarantined. My little kids can’t say goodbye to their grandma.

 

There’s something wrong playing out here, and that is why by the way I have been so lucky that I’ve gotten thousands and thousands of text messages and Twitter followers talking about my mom — people I don’t know.

 

So when I say to folks, when you see somebody who’s passed away because of this evil virus, text someone, call someone, because that’s the only way you have closure is by people who are strangers saying goodbye to your mom and helping you grieve, and that is so critical.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.