Pennsylvania Officials Raise Concern About Accuracy Of Coronavirus Data Coming From Nursing Homes

Natasha Brown reports.

HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE ITSAFER WHEN SCHOOLS DO REOPEN.THIS IS EYEWITNESS NEWS AT5:00 AND WE ARE STREAMING LIVEON CBS IN PHILLY.GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE I'MJESSICA KARTALIJA.FIRST AT 5 PENNSYLVANIAOFFICIALS ARE RACING CONCERNINGABOUT THE ACT ASSIST OF THE DATACORONAVIRUS DATA COMING FROMNURSES HOMES NATASHA BROWN ISLIVE WITH THE PROBLEMS CAUSEDFOR REOPENING, NATASHA.Reporter: WELL, GOOD EVENINGTO YOU JESSICA.CITY HEALTH OFFICIALS EVEN ADDADMITTING TODAY THIS IS ADIFFERENT TEST THAT ARE COMINGUP FROM DIFFERENT LABS HOSPITALSAND NURSING HOME AND LONG-TERMHEALTHCARE FACILITIES.MEANTIME ALL OF THISHAPPENING AND TRYING TO GETTHESE NUMBERS TOGETHER IN THEMIDST OF THE GOVERNOR ABOUT TOREOPEN MORE COUNTIES HERE IN THECOMMONWEALTH.WE HAVE 980 NEW CASES OFCOVID-19.THIS BRINGS OUR STATEWIDE TOTALTO 65,392 PENNSYLVANIANS.Reporter: AS THE COMMONWEALTHBE OF PENNSYLVANIA CONTINUES TOLOG MORE POSITIVE CASES ANDDEATHS DUE TO COVID 19, THEACCURACY OF NUMBERS AS THEYRELATE TO NURSING HOMES ANDLONG-TERM CARE FACILITIESCONTINUE TO RAISE CONCERNS.THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH RELEASED DATA AN ONTUESDAY BUT REPORTS SHOW THAT INSOME CITY FACILITIES WERE THEREPOTENTIAL UNDER COUNTIES ANDSOME DEATHS NOT BEING REPORTED.IT'S A LOT MORE I CAN MR.DTHAN YOU MIGHT THINK TO BE ABLETO COLORADO UP WITH THE TWONUMBERS THAT WE HAVE HER.HERE.WE GET DATA FROM MANY DIFFERENTSOURCES.NURSING HOMES ACCOUNT FOR54 PERCENT OF CORONAVIRUS CASESAND DEATHS, LIVING IN THOSESETTINGS REMAIN THE MOSTVULNERABLE POPULATION DUE TO ATECHNICAL GLITCH STATE HEALTHOFFICIALS SAY THEY WERE NOT ABLETO UPDATE THEIR SYSTEM ONTUESDAY CREATING A BIT OF ADELAY IN CASE TOTALS.OVERALL CITY AND STATE HEALTHOFFICIALS ARE WORKING TO DEVICEA BETTER PLAN TO WORK WITHNURSING HOMES SO THAT NO DEATHAND NO POSITIVE CASE GETSUNREPORTED.WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZECERTAIN FACILITIES THAT ARESIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED, AND THENBE LOOKING TO TEST ALL OF THEPATIENT AND IS ALL OF THE STAFFTHROUGHOUT THE STATE.THE TESTING CAPACITY IS THERETO DO THAT.WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITHTHOSE FACILITIES ABOUT HOW TOOBTAIN THOSE SPECIMENS ANDWHETHER THEY CAN OBTAINING THESPECIMENS WHETHER THEY NEED HELPAND HOW WE WOULD BE ABLE TOPROVIDE THAT, AND ALL HA ISPROCEEDING AS WE SPEAK.NOW, OF COURSE, CASE COUNTSAND OTHER METRICS ARE BEING USEDIN TERMS OF ALLOWING THE STATETO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REOPENCOUNTIES AS THEY HAVE BEENDOING.WE ARE FAR FROM THAT POINT ATTHIS POINT.BUT WE CAN TELL YOU IN TALKINGTO GOVERNOR WOLF EARLIER TODAYDURING A PRESS CONFERENCE CALL.THAT HE TELLS US HE WILL BEANNOUNCING TOMORROW THAT MORECOUNTIES WILL BE GOING GOINGFROM THE RED TO THE YELLOWPHASE.SOME COUNTIES EVEN HEADING INTO