California virus-fighting efforts hampered by data delays

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has stopped removing or adding to a list of counties facing more restrictions on businesses and schools as it tries to resolve a technical problem with the state’s coronavirus testing database, health officials said Wednesday.

The state has recorded a highest-in-the-nation 525,000 positive tests. But California health officials say the true number is even higher. They don’t know how much so until they can add backlogged testing data and fix the problem with the California Reportable Disease Information Exchange, also known as CalREDIE.

The incomplete data in the nation’s most populous state has hampered public health officials’ ability to follow up with those who test positive and contact people who have been around them to limit the spread.

“Back in February and March when we didn’t have enough testing, I would say we felt blind,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara County’s public health director. “I would say now we’re back to feeling blind. We don’t know how the epidemic is trending.”

In Los Angeles County, which has a quarter of the state’s 40 million residents, public health officials have reached out to labs to get testing data directly so they don’t depend on the state. Barbara Ferrer, the county’s health director, said she hopes to have an updated case count by the end of the week.

The CalREDIE system collects data from testing labs around California. The state uses data such as infection rates to determine which counties land on a watch list. Counties must come off the list for 14 days to be able to reopen certain businesses and offer in-classroom instruction for elementary students. There are 38 counties on the list, including Los Angeles and every other major county.

In a statement, the state Department of Public Health said as it works to...