Ousted Florida health employee helps develop site to track coronavirus in schools

Rebekah Jones, the former Florida Health employee ousted from her position, has partnered with Google and nonprofit FinMango to create a website called The COVID Monitor that aims to track cases in schools across the nation.

AS MORE SCHOOLS REOPEN TOIN-PERSON LESSONS, THEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH STILLISNDATA ON SCHOOL DISTRICT COVIDCASES.

AS WE LOOK TO REBOUND,CAPITOL REPORTER FORRESTSAUNDERS HAS BEEN LOOKING INTOTHIS ISSUE FOR WEEKS.

HE JOINSUS FROM TALLAHASSEE WITH WHATHEPARENTS AND TEACHERS HAVEREALLY BEEN WORRIED ABOUTTHIS.

BUT IF THE STATE ISNGOING TO STEP UP, A FLORIDIANYOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF ISNOW WORKING TO GET THE INFO.LAST MONTH WE TOLD YOU HOW THESTATE WAS MULLING THE RELEASEOF COVID-19 CASE DATA FORSCHOOLSGENERALIZED STATEMENT IT“CONTINUING TO REVIEW ANDDETERMINE THE MOST APPROPRIATEMETHOD” NAT FAST FORWARD FASTFORWARD A FEW WEEKSSCHOOLS ARE REOPENING AND AFEW CASES ARE POPPING UPHEALTH DEPARTMENT STILLSENDING THE SAME STATEMENT.(REP.

ANNA ESKAMANI, (D)ORLANDO)“HOW CAN WE MAKE ANINFORMED DECISION ON EVEN THECONTINUATION OF A SCHOOL BEINGOPEN IF THERE ISNMAKE THOSE DECISIONS FROM”(ANNA) STATE REP ANNA ESKAMANITOLD US IN JULY THOSE DETAILSARE KEY FOR FLORIDAAND SAFETY.

BUT AT THE MOMENT,OFFICIALS SEEM TO BE RELYINGON DISTRICTS TO INFORM PARENTSAND STAFF DIRECTLY.

A LOOK ATTHE BIG PICTURE ISNAVAILABLE.“IT DEFINITELYSEEMS LIKE PUBLIC PRESSURE ISTHE ONLY WAY THAT DATA WILL BERELEASED” (ANNA)“PRESSUR”EVENTUALLY PUSHED THE STATE TOGIVE DETAILED INFO DAILY ONFLORIDA PRISONS AND LONGTERMCARE FACILITIES.

ALL OF ITEASILY FOUND ON FLORIDAHEALTHOFFICIALS MAY YET REMEDY THEABSENCE OF SCHOOL DATAFLORIDIAN ISN(REBEKAH JONES, WEBSITEDEVELOPER)“WE REALLY NEEDSOME KIND OF TRACKING SYSTEM”(JONES) REBEKAH JONES& THEFORMER FLORIDA HEALTH EMPLOYEEOUSTED FROM HER POSITION& HASPARTNERED WITH GOOGLE ANDNONPROFIT FINMANGO TO CREATE AWEBSITE CALLED THE COVIDMONITOR& IT AIMS TO TRACKCASES NOT ONLY IN SCHOOLSHEREFROM KINDERGARTEN TO COLLEGE.“PRETTY MUCH EVERYBODY WASLIKE THIS DOESNDOES NOT EXIST.

I WAS LIKE,OK, LETTHE SITE SWEEPS UP COVID DATAFROM ACROSS THE WEB& PRESSRELEASES, NEWS STORIES, INFOFROM HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, ANDMORE.

IT INCLUDES TAKINGANONYMOUS TIPS FROM SCHOOLTEACHERS.

THE TEAM THENVERIFIES THE DETAILS, LOOKINGFOR ADDITIONAL SOURCES ORCONTACTING DISTRICTS, BEFOREMARKING CASES CONFIRMED.“WEMAKE SURE THAT WE CHECK THEINFORMATION WETHERE, WHICH IS FOR ME, ONE OFTHE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS.

IWOULD NEVER WANT TO PUTINACCURATE INFORMATION”(JONES) JONES WAS TERMINATEDFROM FLORIDA HEALTH AFTERALLEGATIONS THE DEPARTMENT WASMISREPRESENTING DATA, EARLIERTHIS YEAR.

FLORIDALATER SAID THE FIRING WAS FORINSUBORDINATION.“YEAH, ITA, ITJONES HAS SINCE BECOME APUBLIC FIGURE, CRITICAL OF THESTATEHER NEW WEBSITE, SHE HOPES,WILL PROVIDE CLARITY AT A TIMEWHEN MANY ARE SEEKING ANSWERS.“WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THISIS A PLACE THAT THEY CAN GOTO.

LETTING THEM SAY, HEY,THERE IS A RESOURCE OUT THEREFOR THIS”FLORIDA HEALTH IS ALSO GETTINGCRITICIZED FOR CHANGING THEREPORTING OF PEDIATRIC CASEDATA.

THE DEPARTMENT RECENTLYSWITCHING FROM CUMULATIVEDAILY REPORTS TO OFFERINGTOTALS FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS.SOCFLYING WITHOUT FACE MASKS.CONFUSION LEFT A MOTHER AND HERSIX KIDS KICKED OFF A JE