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Indiana getting closer to nursing home death and COVID-19 case database

Posted at 9:17 PM, Jul 15, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-15 21:17:58-04

INDIANAPOLIS — The state is getting closer to publishing a database containing COVID-19 death and case information at Indiana nursing homes.

Dr. Kris Box, Indiana State Health Commissioner, told WRTV Wednesday that July 14 was the deadline for long-term care facilities to provide their data to ISDH dating back to March 1.

So far, 70%, or 500, long term care facilities have reported the data which includes the number of deaths and cases involving residents and employees, as well as dates and demographics.

Dr. Box said they will publish the historical information at the end of the month.

After that, they will offer a dashboard for nursing home facilities.

“We are working on the new website that will allow us to take information directly from long term care facilities, from our birth and death registry system, and put all of that together so we have real-time information about cases, real-time information about deaths and it is accurate and up to date,” Box said.

The state announced July 1 it would make the information public after months of reporting from Call 6 Investigates, which included interviews with families pushing for more transparency.

Dr. Box said even though nursing homes were required to report the information to the state as of April 11, they believe they did not get all the information from the facilities.

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