The Florida Department of Health recently told the Miami Herald that it does not collect COVID-19 death rate data on healthcare workers in the state. However, the woman who built the state's original COVID-19 dashboard earlier this year says it does.
The Miami Herald had requested data on the number of healthcare workers who have died in Florida of coronavirus and the health department replied that it "does not maintain that specific record." Rebekah Jones, a former federal government employee who left her role earlier this year after she said the health department pressured her to manipulate data, said the health department keeps records of the occupation of individuals who die of COVID-19.
The publication also obtained records in mid-May showing 25 healthcare workers had died from coronavirus up to that point. The records were obtained through "unofficial channels" and showed a box to check on if the individual who died was a healthcare worker. Another record showed that 64 healthcare workers had died through mid-May, based on a dataset that recorded the individual's industry and occupation.
The Florida health department has released the number of COVID-19 deaths related to long-term care facility workers.
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