Florida Claims COVID Deaths Have Been Overcounted

The Washington Post reports:

After reporting more than 16,000 coronavirus-related deaths, the Florida Department of Health said Wednesday that the fatality data “presents confusion and warrants a more rigorous review.” State Surgeon General Scott Rivkees said in a news release that health officials will begin an additional review of all coronavirus-related deaths to ensure that Florida’s public health statistics are accurate.

While not stating it explicitly, state officials implied they have overcounted coronavirus-related deaths, citing examples from earlier this week in which fatalities were counted even as months had passed between individuals’ positive tests and their deaths. The scrutiny over the official fatality count comes as Florida is facing a surge of new coronavirus infections, as are other states across the country.