In late April, state officials intervened to stop the release of the medical examiners’ list. Previously, the state commission released the list in real time. A previous Times investigation found that the medical examiners’ list showed a death count that was 10 percent higher than the number released by Florida’s Health Department.
On May 6, state officials released the list but removed information on the probable cause of death and the description of each case, the Times reports.
“You have to take the word from the government that these are deaths related to COVID-19,” Dr. Nelson told the Times. “It loses transparency.”
Per the version of the list released May 6, the state’s official death count from COVID-19 is 3.3 percent higher than the medical examiner’s.
In all, state officials withheld the list for 16 days.
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