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Spotlight PA

Pa.’s failure to mandate quicker death reporting before the coronavirus fueled wild data fluctuations, mistrust

An investigation found state health officials abandoned their urgency in implementing a faster process, leaving them ill-prepared to accurately report death data when the pandemic arrived.

In 2017, Pennsylvania had the most severe death reporting lags in the country. That's because the state was still doing much of its death registration by hand, relying on a cumbersome system of faxed paper and manual data entry.
In 2017, Pennsylvania had the most severe death reporting lags in the country. That's because the state was still doing much of its death registration by hand, relying on a cumbersome system of faxed paper and manual data entry.Read moreDan Nott / For Spotlight PA