Florida officials have stopped releasing the list of coronavirus deaths compiled by the state’s medical examiners, which had shown higher death rates than the state’s published count.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that state officials barred publicizing the list of coronavirus-related deaths compiled by the state Medical Examiners Commission following a discrepancy with the Florida Department of Health’s count. The medical examiners’ death count was 10% higher than the state’s reported data in April. State officials argued that the list had to be reviewed and potentially redacted.
The state has withheld the medical examiners’ list for nine days without providing specifics on what needs to be removed from it.
The medical examiners’ list does not include names but has demographic information and the probable cause of death. It also includes case summaries with information about each person’s medical and travel history.
Dr. Stephen Nelson, the chairman of Florida’s Medical Examiners Commission, said state officials told him they planned to remove causes of death and case descriptions. But he noted that without that information, the list is rendered useless.
Backed by the support of Florida’s public records experts, Nelson believes the public has a right to the information provided by the medical examiners.
“This is no different than any other public record we deal with,” Nelson told the Tampa Bay Times. “It’s paid for by taxpayer dollars, and the taxpayers have a right to know.”
Under state law, Florida’s 22 medical examiner offices are responsible for investigating and certifying all coronavirus-related deaths. The chain of offices has been sending detailed information about each case to the state Medical Examiners Commission to be included on a centralized list.
A spokesperson for the health department’s Hillsborough County office told the Tampa Bay Times the reporting difference may come from the health department excluding seasonal residents and visitors who died in the state, whereas the medical examiners include anyone who died in Florida.
During a time when Florida’s death toll during the coronavirus pandemic is rising, public health experts, transparency advocates, and medical examiners say comprehensive information about the pandemic is critical.
Florida has seen nearly 1,100 deaths related to COVID-19 among more than 32,000 confirmed cases.
