RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Friday that he will release the names of nursing homes that have had a coronavirus outbreak, a reversal from his previous stance that releasing the information could violate patients' privacy.
Northam said he is directing the Virginia Department of Health to release the names on its website. He said the widespread nature of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it less likely that releasing the information will violate someone’s privacy or limit cooperation with a public health investigation.
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[Which Virginia nursing homes have coronavirus outbreaks? Check the full list]
"Governor Northam has always been committed to providing as much information as possible under state law," Northam spokeswoman Alena Yarmosky said in a statement. "We are confident that given these new circumstances, this decision will ensure the maximum transparency allowed under the code."
State officials have previously declined to disclose which nursing homes or other live-in medical facilities have reported cases or deaths from COVID-19, citing state code that they said treats a facility as a person when it comes to disclosure of health information.
At the same time, many families of residents who have been largely prohibited from visiting the facilities have told The Associated Press and other news outlets that they have had a hard time obtaining information at the height of outbreaks.
Northam also said his decision was prompted by faulty data released by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services about nursing home cases, which the governor said had created confusion.
Republicans blasted Northam, saying he had the legal authority to release the names of the nursing homes much earlier.
"I cannot fathom the reasoning behind the governor's announcement today," House Minority Leader Todd Gilbert said. "Incompetence kills, and there is a great deal of incompetence from this governor."
Minutes from a state task force meeting focused on dealing with the coronavirus in long-term care facilities show a discussion took place last month about the release of federal data and concerns that it would create "a media frenzy."
"We need to be thoughtful here at VDH about the communication strategy about this data release to minimize the backlash," an unidentified meeting participant said in the minutes, which were provided to AP by the health department.
The virus has ravished nursing homes nationwide. About 1.4 million older and medically frail people live in such facilities, a tiny share of the American population that has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Most nursing home residents have been in lockdown since early March, isolated from families and friends even in death.
The Virginia data released Friday shows current outbreaks at about 70 long-term care facilities and indicates seven facilities have had 25 or more coronavirus-related deaths. There have been about 1,000 deaths at long-term care facilities in Virginia, accounting for about 60% of the state's total virus-related deaths, according to state data.
Northam also announced Friday that the state would be spending an extra $246 million to help long-term care facilities address staffing and equipment shortages as well new coronavirus testing requirements. The state has a goal of testing every long-term care facility resident and staff by July 15.
The Trump administration previously urged every state to have every nursing home resident and staff member tested by the end of May. Many states did not make that goal and some did not try to.
The Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living, a trade group representing nursing homes, said the newly released data highlights the disproportionate impact the virus has had on long-term care facilities.
“We know that full transparency and real-time, accurate data being made available will validate our calls for assistance that nursing homes and assisted living centers have been making since the beginning of this pandemic,” CEO Keith Hare said in a statement.