Texas State Records Using Local Government Stats for COVID-19 Page

Texas.StateRecords.org provides reports of government-generated statistics and important news relating to the COVID-19 virus that was first discovered in China in late 2019. But instead of using statistics generated by the World Health Organization or from privately-funded universities as is done by other news outlets, the site’s numbers are generated from local government records, according to a recent press release.

As COVID-19 cases in America have seen a steep rise, getting information from privately funded bodies and academic institutions has become highly risky. This is because the stats that these bodies put together are potentially inconsistent and tinged with political bias, resulting in a rise in anxiety and uncertainty among the people. The StateRecords site, therefore, has chosen to use only local government records which they are sure are unbiased and accurate.

“There is a lot of uncertainty in the reporting happening for the coronavirus, and it can be difficult to know who to trust,” said a Texas.StateRecords.org spokesperson. “We’re getting our number directly from public records from the organizations responsible for keeping their citizens safe, and their economy operational. We’re not interested in political bias or personal agendas, like a lot of other organizations seem to be. For us, the truth is in the numbers, and our numbers are from the people who know what they actually are.

The COVID-19 data page of the website was launched at the end of March and is regularly updated using figures retrieved solely from local governments within the state. Texas.StateRecords.org says its goal is to offer easily accessible public records about the coronavirus that are not subject to bias or political leanings.