U.S. to resume mandatory reporting of COVID hospitalizations

Starting November 1, U.S. hospitals must report COVID-19 admissions again, as federal officials reinstate earlier mandates. This decision follows a period of voluntary reporting that saw participation drop to 33%.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will require data on respiratory illnesses and patient demographics. "The information required to report includes confirmed infections," a CMS spokesperson stated.

Currently, the U.S. faces a summer wave with nearly 178,000 new COVID cases and over 1,000 deaths in a week. So far this year, more than 4.9 million cases have been logged, resulting in at least 348,034 hospitalizations.