WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has ordered hospitals to begin sending coronavirus patient information directly to the Department of Health and Human Services, bypassing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The move has drawn criticism from some public health experts, who say the White House has been politicizing science and sidelining the CDC in its response to the pandemic.
The change in reporting will begin Wednesday, according to a document offering guidance for hospitals and clinical labs posted on the HHS website.
The HHS will now collect daily reports about the number of patients each hospital is treating, how many beds and ventilators are available, testing data, and other pandemic-related information.