Questions from the Senate to Gov. Cooper

“Transparency, not secrecy, will foster public trust during a pandemic.”

Raleigh, N.C. — Yesterday, every Republican senator sent Gov. Cooper this letter. Below are excerpts:

· Your decisions to date have evidenced a deep concern about public health, and that focus should never change. What has changed, however, is experience and data, which have expanded and continue to do so daily.

· Unfortunately, North Carolina does not see that you have a plan to reopen our state.

· You say you need more testing. Absent are any specifics as to how much more testing you determine is needed.

· We hear you and your administration say that more PPE is needed. But you have not provided information about how much more or even how much we currently have.

· You’ve also indicated more tracing will be needed. What steps have been taken to hire and train personnel for tracing? What precisely is your tracing plan?

· With respect, why haven’t you communicated a step-by-step plan to reopen our economy and put North Carolinians back to work?

· Your DHHS has not released data on how many patients have successfully recovered from the virus.

· Your DHHS has not released data on how many of those who passed away from COVID-19 had other serious underlying medical conditions.

· What is the average age of those who have passed? What percentage had heart disease, diabetes, or immune-compromising illnesses?

· Your administration has superior access to information, and has exclusive access to much of the data that has not been publicly disclosed. Transparency, not secrecy, will foster public trust during a pandemic.

· How and in what ways has your administration updated its modeling to account for new available data points? At what point will your administration respond to the April 15 letter to Secretary Cohen asking for the underlying model?