Texas Virus Deaths Jump by 13% as State Discovers Missing Data
- Covid-19 fatalities will now be based on death certificates
- Many cases were getting missed when local governments reported
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Texas added 675 people to its tally of deaths from Covid-19 -- bringing the total to 5,713 -- after changing its reporting basis to rely on the official cause listed on the death certificate.
The state adjusted data going back to the earliest deaths in March. The new measure increased the total deaths attributed to the virus by 13% Monday.
“We’re always looking for ways we can improve what we’re reporting and both our and the public’s understanding of what’s happening with coronvavirus,” said Chris Van Deusen, a spokesman for the state health department. “As we were looking at this, it seemed like a change we could make that would provide more accurate data.”