The Department of Public Health explained the reporting change that resulted in a drop in the official state count of COVID-19 deaths by pointing to a recent change in the federal-level definition of “probable cases.”
Wednesday’s daily report used “updated data” based on the new definition announced Aug. 6 by the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, DPH said.
The new language, DPH said, defines probable cases as people “with a positive antigen test, with COVID-19 listed as an underlying or contributing cause of death on a death certificate, or with appropriate symptoms and likely exposure.”
As a result of the change and despite the announcement of 22 new COVID-19 deaths, DPH’s total confirmed and probable death toll was listed as 9,060 on Wednesday, four fewer than the 9,064 in Tuesday’s report.
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