Hospital data related to the coronavirus pandemic in the United States will now be collected by a private technology firm, rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a move the Trump administration says will speed up reporting but one that concerns some public health leaders, AP reported.

The CDC director has said that he's fine with the change even though some experts fear it will further sideline the agency.

The CDC has agreed to step out of the government's traditional data collection process “in order to streamline reporting", Dr. Robert Redfield said during a call with reporters set up by the agency's parent, the US Department of Health and Human Services.