By VT Editors
‘Data Glitch’ likely caused by political consultants from DC hired to run Missouri’s ‘worst in the nation’ COVID program
ST. LOUIS (St. Louis Dispatch/Daily Beast)— Missouri added a record number of new COVID-19 deaths Saturday after a data review revealed dozens of virus deaths from earlier this summer that were never counted in the state’s tally, health officials announced.
Nicole Galloway@nicolergallowayGovernor candidate, MOThe consensus is clear: Things are much worse in Missouri because of @GovParsonMO’s failure to take action. It’s costing our economy. It’s costing lives. And it should cost him his job.
The state added 77 deaths Saturday, but said 72 of them occurred in June, July and August.
The new deaths bring the state’s toll to 1,639 since the start of the pandemic. The deaths were added after health officials noticed discrepancies between COVID-19 death certificates and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services electronic data system tracking the virus, the department said in a statement.
Eric Garland@ericgarlandMISSOURI SIGNED A $500,000 *NO-BID CONTRACT* ON COVID ADVICE FROM MIKE FLYNN PARTNER STANLEY MCCHRYSTAL
OH COME ON
“This was an issue related to familiarity with a new disease surveillance system,” department spokeswoman Lisa Cox told the Post-Dispatch in an email.
Cox said the issue was a data coding problem, explaining that more than 900 health department workers statewide are using a recently updated online system to upload fresh data, which led to errors.
“We are rectifying this now so we can avoid this situation in the future,” Cox said.
Saturday also marked a spike in new COVID-19 cases in Missouri, with the state adding the second-highest daily count of new cases in the pandemic.
The positivity rate, which measures the rate of COVID-19 tests coming back positive, continues on an upward trend in Missouri, hitting a seven-day average of 13.3% Saturday. That rate was about 10% a month ago
