New York’s new governor Kathy Hochul drew attention Tuesday by acknowledging in a statement that the state had 12,000 more COVID-19 deaths than previously reported.

The statement reported a total of 55,400 people died in New York from COVID-19. It was 12,000 more than the 43,400 reported by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on his last day in office.

"We're using CDC numbers, which will be consistent. And so there's no opportunity for us to mask those numbers," Hochul said Wednesday on NPR's "Morning Edition."

"The public deserves a clear, honest picture of what's happening, whether it's good or bad, they need to know the truth," she said. "That's what I've done for 27 years of elected office, it's not a new concept to me."

Hochul’s revelation was the sharpest break from her predecessor. Cuomo has been dogged by investigations at the state and federal level into whether or not his administration knowingly concealed the number of COVID-19 deaths, particularly in nursing homes, in 2020.

From the start of her tenure, Hochul, who was sworn in on Tuesday, has made it a priority to show that her leadership would make up for the shortcomings of the Cuomo era.

Hochul said on NPR, that she would prioritize transparency in governing and that there would be “no drama” from her administration. Asked if her government would be a “clean break” from Cuomo’s, Hochul sharply answered: “Yes.”

Cuomo was once celebrated as the face of effective government against COVID-19 when it peaked last year. In contrast to the chaotic federal response of former President Donald Trump, Cuomo’s no-nonsense press conferences detailing how Albany was countering the pandemic were widely praised. It won him such accolades as a lucrative $5 million book deal about governing through the crisis and an Emmy for his daily press conferences.

However, the adulation would later shift to scandal. In December 2020, a former aide accused Cuomo of sexual harassment which soon cascaded into multiple accusations. An attorney general investigation validated these claims, and ultimately the former governor announced his resignation on Aug.10. Crown Publishing, Cuomo’s publisher, ended any active promotion of his book over the scandals and the governor's Emmy was revoked on Tuesday.

Even his once lauded handling of COVID-19 soon began to lose its luster as it was revealed the state was sending infected patients into nursing homes, worsening conditions and causing more deaths. His administration was accused of covering up these numbers to ward off investigations, but also to deflect criticism from the Trump White House.

On Feb.12, the New York Post reported that Cuomo’s chief of staff Melissa DeRosa admitted that the deaths were covered up at the time when Cuomo’s star was on the rise and that the state wanted to prevent criticism from Trump.

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