Ese Olumhense of Spotlight PA

The state Department of Health denied a public records request from Spotlight PA, citing a decades-old law that it has frequently used to shield the public from scrutinizing its pandemic response.

Race and ethnicity data is key to informing vaccine outreach efforts to communities disproportionately affected by the virus, local health officials told Spotlight PA.

The state Health Department is once again citing a decades-old law that it has used numerous times to prevent greater public scrutiny of its coronavirus pandemic response.

Enrollment in the program rose by more than 388,000 people, or 13.7%, including in counties that, historically, have been wealthier than some of their counterparts.