Virus response hampered by ignorance about outbreak origins

Many public health departments do not have data on the type of locations where COVID-19 outbreaks have originated. Other public health departments may have the data, but they are not yet publicly reporting.

The lack of information is hampering the response to the virus. Data on which types of business (retail outlets, restaurants, manufacturing, healthcare, etc.) are more likely to experience virus outbreaks would better inform public officials, helping them to know which businesses could remain open and at what capacity, thereby lessening the economic damage.