IN THE DARK

Federal Government Has No Idea How Many Nursing Homes Have Coronavirus Outbreaks, Says Report

The numbers have reportedly still not been tallied and are weeks away from being ready.

The federal government doesn’t know how many U.S. nursing homes have suffered outbreaks during the coronavirus pandemic or how many residents have died, NBC News reports. In mid-April, Medicare Administrator Seema Verma promised that the Trump administration would start tracking outbreaks and deaths at care facilities nationwide—but the numbers have reportedly still not been tallied and are weeks away from being ready to show the public. Public-health experts said the delay will impede officials from being able to target hot spots with more resources. Prof. Charlene Harrington of University of California San Francisco told NBC: “I think the problem is CMS [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] and the governors have not put the nursing homes at the top of the list—and I can’t think of any group that is more vulnerable.” CMS defended its efforts, and said it would take “swift action” to provide the information publicly.