Hochul unveils revamped NY state COVID data site, signs transparency bills into law
ALBANY — Gov. Hochul is expanding access to New York’s pandemic data with a new website meant to boost transparency and allow the public to better track COVID deaths and cases across the state.
The portal went live Tuesday, offering streamlined information from the state including COVID-19 school report cards, nursing home and daycare facility fatalities, vaccine completion by county, hospitalization by gender and zip codes, and information on hospitalizations and beds.
“(O)ver the next few weeks, we’re going to continue adding more data sets behind the dashboards whenever they’re available, and we can put them on this site here,” Hochul said during a press conference at her Manhattan office. “So hopefully people will take advantage of this information. Again, it’s all about transparency.”
The governor also signed a pair of bills Tuesday that will provide more access to public records at the local government level as well as at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
One of the new laws requires public agencies to publish meeting agenda items and documents, such as proposed resolutions, laws, rules, regulations, policy, or amendments, online at least 24 hours ahead of a meeting.
The other measure mandates the MTA publish “as much data as is feasible” on its website and the state’s open data page as well as designate a so-called data coordinator responsible for making the agency comply with the law.
Within 180 days, the MTA must create a catalogue of “public data” and schedule for publishing this data in the next three years.
Good government group Reinvent Albany applauded the signing and commended Hochul for “taking an important step toward fulfilling her commitment to improve transparency in New York State government.”
The governor also said the state is gearing up as federal approval for COVID vaccines for 5- to 11-year-olds is on the horizon, working with schools and pediatricians to ensure they are prepared.
Parents should start making appointments now in anticipation of the shots being approved sometime in November, Hochul said.
“I anticipate, as a mom who took my kids to get doctor appointments and well visits and vaccines for many years, that there could actually be a crush of interest in this, which is good,” she said. “But I want to make sure that the doctors’ offices, where I think the majority of parents will get those vaccines, are ready for this.”
