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Florida Department of Health says it “inadvertently” posted inconsistent school-related COVID-19 numbers

Florida+Department+of+Health+says+it+inadvertently+posted+inconsistent+school-related+COVID-19+numbers

Zach Yearwood, Managing Editor

The Florida Department of Health released reports Monday showing school-related COVID-19 cases recorded statewide since Aug. 10. The numbers, which have since been taken down from the website, included 24 cases in Duval county elementary, middle and high schools as well as three university-related cases.

The numbers released by the state appear to have discrepancies. Although the Department of Health’s number of college-related cases in Duval is only three, the University of North Florida is reporting 13 confirmed cases since Aug.10.

Spinnaker reached out to UNF for comment.

“…on the UNF cases page on the University’s website, positive cases are posted as the University is notified through both the employee/student self-reporting forms and when positive test results are disclosed,” the university said.

The report showed 559 cases statewide related to elementary, middle and high school between Aug.10 and Aug. 23 and an additional 1,351 confirmed cases between March 1 and Aug. 10. Clicking the link for the report now leads to a 404 error page.

There have been several cases of inconsistencies in reporting cases. For example, with over 350 students in quarantine in Martin County, the state reported 26 cases — only two more than Duval. When the Florida Times-Union first reported on this, the organization asked about the methodology behind the number of cases gathered. The Department of Health did not respond.

According to the department, the data related to schools is being tracked based on residency, not school location.

Alberto Moscoso, the Department of Health’s media director, said that the reports were drafts and “inadvertently made available on a Department archival site and not yet finalized.”

Moscoso also said that the reports would “remain under review” until the department verified the date. The data would then be posted at www.FloridaHealthCOVID19.gov. However, it could take days or weeks until then.

As of Tuesday, Florida is reporting over 605,000 total coronavirus cases and 10,580 deaths.

___

For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact [email protected].

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