Miami, FL

Florida undercounted COVID cases and deaths, failed to get test results, state audit says

Published

3 years ago

June 7, 2022

Florida undercounted COVID cases and deaths, failed to get test results, state audit says

Florida’s COVID-19 information was so inaccurate, incomplete and delayed throughout the first months of the pandemic that authorities officers and the general public could not have had crucial data to find out the effectiveness of the state’s COVID-19 precautions and the perfect plan to struggle the virus, in response to a state report launched Monday.

Masking the state’s pandemic response from March to October 2020, the yearlong evaluation by the Florida Auditor Common discovered lacking case and loss of life information, unreported ethnic and racial particulars, and incomplete contact tracing because the coronavirus unfold throughout the state. As well as, the report concluded that state well being officers didn’t carry out routine checks on the info to make sure accuracy and didn’t observe up on discrepancies.

READ MORE: Most staff who died of COVID in 2020 had one thing important in frequent, examine finds

But one prime state well being official, Division of Well being spokesperson Jeremy Redfern, stated the Auditor Common’s report was flawed.

Redfern stated “among the conclusions come from (the auditors’) misunderstanding of the aim of various datasets,” including that “the report doesn’t deal with the massive developments we’ve made in modernizing our reporting programs.”

COVID take a look at outcomes not returned to state

State auditors reviewed a pattern of two,600 checks taken at three state-run testing amenities and located that state-contracted laboratories did not return outcomes for almost 60% of checks.

Redfern stated he couldn’t say whether or not any of the lacking outcomes have been constructive, or whether or not doubtlessly constructive people had been notified of their outcomes.

ENHTropical Park Covid Testing_SN148 — Vehicles line as much as get COVID-19 checks at Tropical Park in December 2021. A Florida Auditor Common report launched Monday discovered Florida undercounted COVID-19 instances and deaths, didn’t report ethnic and racial particulars and its contact tracing was spotty within the early months of the pandemic. SAM NAVARRO Particular for the Miami Herald

Ethnic, racial information lacking

Check outcomes that have been returned typically did not report fundamental demographic data. Practically 60 % of instances didn’t record the ethnicity of the person and greater than half didn’t record the race.

Lacking demographic information wasn’t distinctive to Florida, stated Beth Blauer, govt director of the Facilities for Civic Affect at Johns Hopkins College, however it’s “essentially the most essential piece of data that we lacked.” Johns Hopkins has tracked the coronavirus for the reason that starting, with its COVID-19 dashboard.

READ MORE: ‘It simply went increase.’ ICUs have been overwhelmed with youthful — and sicker — sufferers

Poor contact tracing

As soon as instances have been recognized, well being officers have been to contact all COVID-positive people inside 48 hours of being recognized, in response to state pointers.

Nevertheless, auditors discovered that the state by no means spoke with 23% of contaminated people. Those that the state did contact have been typically reached over per week after testing constructive, leaving ample time for them to unfold the virus to others.

But given how shortly the pandemic escalated to greater than 80,000 instances per week within the first seven months, the state’s contact tracing wasn’t dangerous, Redfern stated.

“We wouldn’t be capable of rent sufficient individuals quick sufficient to fulfill that demand,” Redfern stated. “It’s unrealistic to suppose that’d be sustainable.”

In January 2022, the state formally really helpful that county well being departments stop COVID-19 contact tracing, in response to an e-mail from Florida Surgeon Common Joseph Ladapo.

COVID deaths not exhibiting up

Auditors additionally discovered greater than 3,000 instances of COVID-19 deaths reported by physicians that didn’t seem within the state’s record of deaths.

Many lacking information have been doubtless because of typos or clerical errors, the report concluded. Nevertheless, the report discovered state information have been lacking or considerably delayed for nearly 40% of lacking deaths it reviewed.

Division of Well being officers instructed auditors that loss of life studies could take as much as 60 days to look within the official state rely — “a really very long time to attend to see how lethal an rising illness is,” Blauer stated.

Redfern stated that auditors misunderstood loss of life reporting necessities and that the delay in reporting didn’t considerably alter the state’s pandemic response.

The Division of Well being responded in an e-mail to the Auditor Common that it concurs with the report’s advice to enhance the accuracy of future information assortment. The division stated it can examine discrepancies and overview information insurance policies by the top of the 12 months.

This story was initially printed June 6, 2022 9:12 PM.

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Related Topics:audit Cases covid deaths Featured Florida Auditor General Report undercount

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Miami, FL

TRANSFER PORTAL: Charlotte Gets Commitment From Ex-Louisville, Miami RB Don Chaney Jr.

Published

1 hour ago

January 10, 2025

Press Room

TRANSFER PORTAL: Charlotte Gets Commitment From Ex-Louisville, Miami RB Don Chaney Jr.

Former Miami and Louisville running back Don Chaney Jr. will transfer to Charlotte, as first reported by Pete Nakos of On3 Sports.

A former four-star recruit, Chaney began his career with Miami in 2020 and rushed for 322 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries, but suffered season-ending injuries in 2021 and 2022.

The 5-foot-10, 208-pounder bounced back to finish third on Miami’s roster in rushing yards in 2023, rushing for 478 yards and two touchdowns before transferring to Louisville following the season.

Chaney never found his footing with Jeff Brohm’s club, being used primarily as a reserve this past year. He rushed for 178 yards on 50 carries with three touchdowns and hauled in seven receptions for 62 yards.

For his career, the Miami native has rushed for 1,030 yards and nine touchdowns.

First-year Charlotte head coach Tim Albin takes over the 49ers’ program after former head coach Biff Poggi was relieved of his duties following a two-year stint in the Queen City that saw Poggi amass a 6-16 record with the team.

Miami, FL

Stephen A. Smith Once Referred To Ex-Miami Heat Player As ‘Steal Of The Draft’

Published

10 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Stephen A. Smith Once Referred To Ex-Miami Heat Player As ‘Steal Of The Draft’

Let’s be honest: no one is perfect when it comes to making predictions.

You win some, and you lose some.

So cut media personality Stephen A. Smith some slack for his now cold take during the 2015 NBA draft. While ripping the New York Knicks for drafting Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick, Smith rattled off three players they should have taken instead.

They were Willie Cauley-Stein, Stanley Johnson and Justise Winslow, who he all called “NBA ready.”

Posted by REVOLT Sports on Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Smith boldly called Winslow “the steal of the draft.” He was taken by the Heat at No. 10. Fans fell for it, too, because they cheered loudly at Kaseya Center when the pick was announced. The result was Winslow having five forgetful seasons in Miami before he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Heat fans forever link him with All-Star Devin Booker, who was taken three spots after at No. 13. Others drafted later were Kelly Oubre Jr., and Terry Rozier.

Smith was actually wrong about all the players he mentioned who should have been taken ahead of Porzingis. Cauley-Stein was out of the league after seven seasons, averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds for his career. Johnson made it eight seasons before exiting to play overseas.

Meanwhile, Porzingis is still going strong as a key cog for the defending champion Boston Celtics. And Heat fans are still sulking about Winslow never panning out.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Miami, FL

Agent Sheds Light on Hill Situation

Published

17 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Four days ago after Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill’s headline-grabbing comment “I’m out” that followed his pulling himself out of the season finale against the New York Jets, his agent shed some light on his client’s mind-set but left unanswered the biggest question of all.

Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, Drew Rosenhaus said Hill showed his dedication and commitment to the Dolphins in 2024 by playing the entire season through a wrist injury that doctors said required surgery, but declined to say whether Hill did or did not want to be traded because he hasn’t spoken to the wide receiver yet.

Hill hasn’t written anything on X in the past couple of days that would indicate his preference, though he did change back his avatar to a picture of himself in a Dolphins uniform after having for one day his head shot superimposed on the barechested Antonio Brown as he walking out on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the middle of a game at MetLife Stadium.

What Rosenhaus did say from Hard Rock Stadium is that Hill broke his wrist during a joint practice with the Washington Commanders.

“We have top-risk doctors saying to Tyreek, ‘You need to get this operated on, you’re going to miss the season,’ ” Rosenhaus said. “Tyreek says to me and the Dolphins, ‘I’m not going to miss the season. I’m going to play, I want to be here for my team.’ The doctors all said it’s going to be painful. It could impact your entire career. If you don’t get it done now, you may not be able to fix it all the way. Tyreek said, hey, the heck with it. I’m a team guy. I’m going for it. This hampered him all year long. He deserves a lot of credit.

“Tyreek is very passionate. Anyone I’ve ever represented that was great was passionate. They cared. What you see with Tyreek is very genuine. He wants to win. It’s not good enough for him not to make the playoffs. He’s very passionate. I think at the end of the day, he’s committed to this Dolphins football team. He had an excellent meeting with Chris Grier, Mike McDaniel. I believe that Tyreek is a great asset to the Dolphins. And I think he’s the least guy that people should be worried about for this organization. They have many more worries. Tyreek Hill is not one of them.”

GM Chris Grier said during the Dolphins’ end-of-season press conference that both he and head coach Mike McDaniel had productive conversations with Hill the previous day in their exit meetings and that Hill never asked to be traded, even though he didn’t take back anything he said after the game.

This was a really tough year all around for Hill, with off-the-field turmoil (most notably being detained by police officers outside Hard Rock Stadium on the day of the season opener), the wrist injury, and on-field results that included his first season without being selected to the Pro Bowl (though Rosenhaus said Hill was a second alternate), his first season without 1,000 receiving yards when making at least 13 starts, and his first time missing the playoffs since he entered the NFL in 2016.

For the Dolphins, having a healthy and happy Hill is the best thing for them in 2025.

Trading him would be a last resort because they would not get equal value in return because of Hill’s age, recent injuries, salary and checkered past. Check out suggested trades online over the past couple of days and they usually involve something like a third-round pick.

More importantly, for the Dolphins to rebound and return to the playoffs in 2025, having Hill would make that task a lot easier to accomplish.

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