Gov. Hochul asks hospitals for more detailed information about COVID patients

Rochester, New York — Governor Hochul is asking hospitals to submit more detailed information about daily COVID hospitalizations.

“I have always wondered, when we’re looking at the hospitalizations, the people testing positive in a hospital, is that person in the hospital because of COVID or did they show up there and are routinely tested and are showing positive and may have been asymptomatic or even just had the sniffles?” asked Hochul.

For months, hospitals have been submitting data to the State Department of Health daily about COVID hospitalizations.

The Governor’s office offered some clarification of her remarks on Monday night, confirming that the daily survey completed by hospitals will include new questions, requiring more information, starting tomorrow.

Hospitals will now be asked to describe the primary reason why each patient entered the hospital, how many patients with confirmed COVID were admitted due to COVID or complications of COVID, and how many patients with confirmed COVID were admitted where COVID was not included as one of the reasons for admission.