DES MOINES, Iowa - A spokesperson for the Iowa Department of Public Health says she's been ousted for aggressively sharing information with the media during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Polly Carver-Kimm told the Des Moines Register that the department’s messaging has been limited by the office of Governor Kim Reynolds
She said the press is not getting timely answers, and is getting scripted talking points when they do.
Carver-Kimm said she was told her position was being eliminated as part of a restructuring, but believes her ouster was partly tied to her attempts to fulfill reporters' request for information.
She told the Register she was given a choice to resign or be fired, and chose to resign is order to use vacation days to pay for health insurance.
Some state governments have been accused of withholding COVID-19 numbers, and Florida was criticized after being accused of keeping accurate number of cases and fatalities hidden from the public.
Iowa recently changed the way it determines recoveries from COVID-19. After previously attempting to contact people 10 days after positive tests, the state now considers a person recovered after 28 days, unless it receives information that the person is in a hospital or is still sick.