Alva Review-Courier -

The late-2020 surge in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths left many of the state’s tracking systems behind as providers responsible for updating reports concentrated on providing patient care ahead of filling out reports. It was further exacerbated as epidemiologists and other public health officials got behind in fatality case investigations, which is the total the state has been publishing for Covid-19 deaths.

That has led to a stark difference in the state’s death toll from Covid-19 and one kept by a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The state said its...