Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
California's Public Health Chief Quits As State Struggles With Data Glitch
Los Angeles Times: California's Public Health Director Resigns Amid Questions About Coronavirus Test Data
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s director of the California Department of Public Health resigned on Sunday, an abrupt departure of a key advisor in the state’s coronavirus battle just days after the discovery of a computer system failure that resulted in the undercounting of COVID-19 cases. Dr. Sonia Angell, who held the position for less than a year, announced her resignation in an email sent to department staff that was released by the California Health and Human Services Agency. (Myers, 8/9)
Politico: California Sorts Through Coronavirus Data As Glitch Stymies Policy Decisions
California's top health official said Friday the state has identified why its infectious disease reporting system failed and is working through a backlog of 250,000 to 300,000 records — a glitch that has stymied decision-making at the state's highest levels. “Bottom line, our data system failed,” said Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, offering an apology to residents for the blunder. (Colliver, 8/7)
Also —
Los Angeles Times: Amid COVID-19, California Releases Violent Crime Prisoners
Terebea Williams was 22 when she shot her boyfriend, drove 750 miles with him bleeding in the trunk of his own car and then dragged him into a Northern California motel, tied him to a chair and left him to die. Convicted of murder, carjacking and kidnapping, Williams went on to earn a college degree during her 19 years in prison, where she also mentored younger inmates and was lauded by administrators for her “exceptional conduct” while incarcerated. (Winton, Chabria and Christensen, 8/9)
Los Angeles Times: L.A. County Reports More Than 1,700 New Coronavirus Cases
Los Angeles County public health officials on Sunday reported 1,789 new cases of the coronavirus and 10 related deaths but said the numbers still did not include a pending backlog of lab reports that could cause a spike in new cases. Young residents continue to account for an outsize share of the new cases, officials said. Of the infections recorded Sunday, 35% were among residents 30 to 49, and 69% were among residents under 50, the Department of Public Health said in a news release. (Wigglesworth, 8/9)
