Emergency Management has provided insight about the Health Department’s limitations related to COVID-19 testing such as providing public health information to the community while protecting the identity of those being tested.
From Emergency Management:
We appreciate the desire to understand how many Floridians in each community have been tested, received a negative test or are under public health monitoring as a result of suspicion they may have COVID-19 or has been in contact with someone who have COVID-19. Balancing the privacy of the individuals being tested and monitored and the confidentiality of the epidemiological investigations with the responsibility to Floridians to disclose information to protect the public is a vital role of the Florida Department of Health (Department).
The Department strives to protect the identity of individuals tested or affected by COVID-19, while also ensuring information necessary for the public health is available.
As such, in order to protect the personally identifiable health information (PHI) of Floridians, the Department is unable to provide certain details regarding case information. Floridians can view the best and most up-to-date available information at www.FLHealth.gov/COVID-19. This information is updated twice daily and contains links to the most recent COVID-19 daily report
and the Florida COVID-19 Data and Surveillance Dashboard.
Additionally, the Department is encouraging all Floridians to be aware. Floridians should practice social distancing, maintaining at least 6 feet from those around them in social settings, use good hand hygiene and wash their hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds, use a tissue when they sneeze or cough and immediately dispose of it in the trash and stay home if they are sick.