TAMPA, Fla. — There have been thousands of COVID-19 cases in schools, daycares and universities since the pandemic began. That's according to data accidentally released earlier this week by the Florida Department of Health.
The Department of Health has since removed the information from its website. But, its temporary existence online revealed the state has data from those places since march.
10 Investigates' Jennifer Titus was told by Gov. Ron DeSantis, just weeks ago, that he did not think that data was being collected even though the Department of Children and Families confirmed any reported case at a licensed facility had to be reported to the DOH.
On Thursday, Jennifer Titus asked the Governor again about that data.
Titus: “A few weeks ago you and I spoke, you didn’t think we were keeping track of child care cases. That report showed us it’s been tracked since March. Why weren’t those numbers released sooner?”
DeSantis: “I’d never seen it before. This was something the Surgeon General asked them to compile. It was not necessarily accurate, and they weren’t supposed to do that so they’re going through it.”
The Florida Department of Health says it is working to verify the data in the initial report and hopes to have it released within the coming days.
The data that was released on Aug. 24 shows that in the last two weeks:
- There have been 38 outbreaks, 559 cases and 14 hospitalizations associated with elementary, middle and high schools in the state
- Those hospitalizations only include children under the age of 18.
- Between March 1 and Aug. 24, there have been 62 outbreaks, 1,910 cases, 95 hospitalizations and two deaths
When the data is confirmed and published, we will let you know and publish it here on our site.
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