Orlando state Representative Carlos Guillermo Smith is joining with a nonprofit group in filing a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Health for allegedly withholding important health data related to the COVID pandemic. The Democratic lawmaker and the Florida Center for Government Accountability say the DOH was in violation of public-records laws. Smith had requested data on pediatric hospitalizations and cases. The request was denied because the agency deemed it confidential. The same information used to be available on the department's daily COVID dashboard.
“Due to the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 and its ‘continuing threat’ to Floridians, records revealing information about its impact, prevalence and fatality is of obvious public importance,” the lawsuit said. “Floridians have an immediate need for access to information about the virus and its impact and spread in particular communities. This information is vital to the ability of citizens to understand the risks and make informed decisions about their lives."
The suit goes on to say, "The purpose of this action is to obtain critical records that the department previously published daily on its website so that the public will have knowledge of and the ability to scrutinize their government’s response to the rampaging virus. This is the paramount goal of open government laws.”
The lawsuit was filed Monday in Leon County circuit court.
Image courtesy Getty