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- Covid-19 data is difficult to track and find, unless you know where to look.
- With its dashboard, News24 aims to provide readers with all the information they need to understand the spread of the coronavirus, in one place.
- The dashboard will expand, and as more data becomes available, readers will be able to access the Covid-19 data most important to their sub-district.
Data has become one of the most important tools the public can use to keep abreast of the spread of Covid-19. But the limited data released by the health department is hard to find and often difficult to understand.
Aiming to address this key gap in public awareness, News24 has launched its Covid-19 panel, which will provide readers with key information about the pandemic.
It also includes provincial-level data that is easy to understand and navigate on mobile devices and desktop computers.
VISIT | News24 Covid-19 Panel
But this is only an initial release.
The dashboard will soon be expanded to include sub-district-level data for Gauteng and the Western Cape, as well as other key information, including more detailed and new charts on excess deaths.
The project aims to remove the noise around Covid-19 statistics to display data so that readers can quickly and easily check the latest trends while on the go, or for a deeper look if they have the time.
Looking forward
A request for the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) filed by News24 in July recently prompted the health department to publish 45 scientific notices drawn up by the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Covid-19.
The publication of the warnings is seen as a great victory for transparency and accountability around the management of the coronavirus.
News24 also submitted a PAIA request to access more detailed data that the department currently keeps secret, but this request was rejected.
On August 19, an internal appeal was filed.
The News24 Covid-19 dashboard was built specifically with the eventual release of this data in mind, providing our audience and the general public with an unprecedented insight into the pandemic.
The board project was supported by the Truth First Foundation, an NPO aimed at supporting investigative journalism.
