With coronavirus cases skyrocketing in the state, Democrats are calling for Florida to return to releasing daily COVID-19 reports instead of the weekly report the DeSantis administration put in place since June.
“FL is the U.S. epicenter of resurgence, yet @GovRonDeSantis refuses to reinstate daily COVID reporting,” state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith wrote on Twitter. “So last week, I officially requested public records for local data so residents can make informed decisions to protect their families before school re-opens. Still waiting.”
With reports restricted to being released weekly, residents and lawmakers have to wait until Friday afternoons to learn how many new cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID have been reported.
“There has been a little bit of a problem for us in that we do not have ready access to the state’s data,” Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said Wednesday. “We needed that. But we’ve done a workaround [by] getting data from our own community.”
Spokespersons for DeSantis and agriculture commissioner Nikki Fried’s campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor also sparred over reinstating daily numbers.
“Have you talked to @HealthyFla [the Florida Department of Health] about it?” DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw wrote on Twitter in response to Fried spokesman Franco Ripple. “I suggest you do. They are apolitical professionals who can walk you through the process for infectious disease data collection and reporting and can address your concerns. Let’s be adults here. Not everything has to be political theater.”
Ripple responded Fried was “well acquainted” with the DOH, “including when we offered Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services] lab space and scientists to help with their #COVID19 workload — which @GovRonDeSantis rejected.”
“Or,” he added, “you could publish the daily numbers again for the public and media — you know, ‘the enemy of the people,'” referring to Pushaw’s recent description of the news media.
Pushaw said earlier this week there were no plans to reinstate the weekly reports.
Staff writer Stephen Hudak contributed to this report. slemongello@orlandosentinel.com