<article><p class="lead">President Donald Trump's administration has stopped reporting on the number of Covid-19 cases on offshore oil and gas facilities in US waters.</p><p>The US Coast Guard earlier this month disclosed that 26 offshore workers had tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of 8 April but has refused to update the information since that time.</p><p>Industry group the National Ocean Industries Association has counted 40 confirmed Covid-19 cases, a figure which includes individuals who have recovered from the virus. The cases occurred on eight facilities, with 11 cases confirmed over the last two weeks out of a population of 25,000 workers, the trade group said.</p><p>The US Coast Guard said it stopped releasing data on the offshore sector because the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "is the lead agency on numbers of Covid-19 cases." But the CDC does not release specific data on coronavirus cases in the offshore industry. The CDC did not respond to multiple requests for comment.</p><p><i>Argus Media</i> filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act seeking Coast Guard records from 8 March-17 April tracking the spread of the virus. The Coast Guard declined to provide updated numbers, declaring the request "too broad in scope." <i>Argus</i> has since filed a follow-up request.</p><p>Cutting off reporting of the data was "short-sighted," one industry official said, since the relatively low infection rate could reassure the public that the disease is not rapidly spreading in the crowded conditions found on offshore facilities.</p><p>"A lot of people are willing to assume the worst when it comes to this administration and oil and gas," the official said. "Silence by the [Coast Guard] allows those voices to come to their own conclusions, which is often far away from the truth."</p><p>Offshore operators have taken precautionary measures, such as extending the duration of deployments and testing workers, to reduce the risk of an outbreak in the cramped working conditions found offshore. Covid-19 has already killed nearly 42,000 in the US, according to CDC data.</p><p>Chevron says seven workers who had been on its Big Foot platform tested positive for coronavirus, leading it to suspend drilling activities at the end of March and take other precautions. The company said production levels are normal. BP said several workers on one of its platforms later tested positive for Covid-19 and that it has adjusted mobilization procedures. </p><p>ExxonMobil declined to say if it had any confirmed cases of coronavirus offshore and, instead, released a statement saying it is focused on the safety and health of workers. Shell said it has not had any confirmed cases offshore.</p><p>The US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, which oversees oil and gas operations in federal waters, said it does not track Covid-19 cases on offshore facilities. The agency said it is working closely with other federal, state and local authorities to monitor and respond to developments related to the disease. </p><p><i>By Chris Knight</i></p></article>
