Don't Hide COVID-19 Data

Statement

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued guidance on July 10 taking over COVID-19 data collection from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suddenly requiring the Commonwealth Health Center and hospitals around the country to take time and resources away from treating the pandemic and to develop a new reporting system is dangerous and irresponsible policy. In addition, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has made no guarantee the public will have access to the HHS data, as we do with CDC's. So, I joined 88 of my Democratic colleagues in a letter to the Secretary, asking for an explanation of this decision and calling for transparency. Public health departments, providers, and researchers rely on the public availability of this data to track trends and make evidence based recommendations.

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