TAMPA, Fla. — By August 31 all school districts will be open and many students will be back in the classroom, making it even more important to see how COVID-19 is impacting our kids.
The only way families and doctors can do that is with accurate data from the state.
"We just want to be the best doctors we can be," Dr. Nancy Silva said.
But Dr. Silva and Dr. José Jiménez from Small World Pediatrics say a lack of transparency from the state is making it hard for them to give parents accurate information.
"When they provide us with data, they do provide us with good data. However, they're not being transparent. For the last five days. We don't have any recent data," Dr. Silva said.
She says the pediatric report from the Florida Department of Health was being updated daily just like the State's daily COVID-19 report. On August 25th that stopped. That's the same day a report detailing cases in schools and colleges was unpublished.
10Investigates asked Governor Ron DeSantis about the state's transparency during a press conference in Tampa last week.
"It was not necessarily accurate and it was not supposed to do that so they're going through it," Governor DeSantis said.
Even still, the pediatric infection rate in Florida stands at 15 percent and more kids continue to get tested as school starts.
"This week we've been basically seeing more patients come in for COVID-19 testing than we've seen since June. So basically over the last two months, this last week was the most testing we've done," Dr. Jiménez said.
They hope the state will provide data doctors and families can rely on before getting months into the school year.
"This is that crucial week, the week the school starts, and frankly, the next two to eight weeks are really crucial to see where that data goes. In order for parents to make their decisions, if they want to stay in this current track, whether it's a traditional brick and mortar or it's some version of online school or not," Dr. Silva said.
- FEMA approves Florida's application for federal unemployment benefits for extra $300 a week
- Tracking 4 disturbances in the tropics
- Heavy rain causes Tampa street flooding
- Troopers looking for red Mustang after driver shot at on I-4 in Polk County
- What happens if a student or teacher tests positive for COVID-19 at Sarasota County schools
- 'Black Panther' actor Chadwick Boseman dies at 43 after cancer battle
- 2 South Florida women accused in sex-trafficking operation
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter