Can't anything be agree on?

I write this mostly to feel better.  Somehow collecting and organizing my thoughts on a subject seems to make me feel better.  Not great but certainly better.  Maybe it is a distraction, maybe a release it could be that it helps me make sense of the a crazy world. We have so many factors to consider when doing what used to be a simple task.

Going out for a bite used to be a simple task.  What do my wife and want and where to get it.  After several what do want, I don't know what do you want?  Then the inevitable "no I don't want that" ( I thought you said you didn't care)k.  Ok so it's not that simple lol.  Eventually we would end up somewhere ordering a meal.  Now fast forward to 2020 and now not only deciding what but the where decision is more complicated.  Is it open now?  Are they set up for social distancing?  Do they have outside dining?  Even when we get there does it look safe?  Is it too crowded?  We make more decisions based on our biases (what is look busy?) and our observations.  These are relatively simple tasks and most have a plan B.  We could always eat at home

What about bigger decisions.  Decisions that affect 1000's or even millions of people.  I obviously do not make these types of decisions.  I am not a fortune 500 CEO or a politician.  I have started reading "Factfullness" Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong about the World--And Why Things Are Better Than You Think: Rosling, Hans, Ronnlund, Anna Rosling: 9781250231987: Amazon.com: Books

I just started reading it and one of the first impressions I got is that we as a population want certain things to be true so we ignore data and facts even if they are right in front of us.  I do not want to speak for the authors so I would suggest reading the book.  What has caught my eye though is even more fundamental that our biases or want and ignoring data.  It is debating over the simplest of numbers.  How can 2 bodies with substantial resources fundamentally disagree on the simplest of numbers.

I camee across this today New York City Hit a 3% Positive Test Rate. Or Did It? (msn.com).  On it's face this borders on ridiculous.  The positivity rate is simple the number of positive tests divided by the the total number of tests multiplied by 100%.  I mean it, what could be simpler.  You can do the long division.  If you test 300 people and 24 are positive (276 negative). The positivity rare would be 24 divided by 300 which equals 0.08.  Now multiply by 100% would make it 8%.  Even easier if you have a calculator.  What about a slide rule.  The answer is still the same 8%.  Another example how about 3,496 tests and 143 positive tests.

143/3496 = 0.0409038901601831 then 0.0409038901601831X100%=4.09038901601831%

Rounding gives us 4.09%

Even if I have the arithmetic wrong the city and state would have enough people to double and triple check the numbers.  The city and state are not debating the accuracy of the arithmetic. 

Before I go on, why is this number so important.  At 3% positivity the city will make several changes.  These include closing schools, gyms and reducing restaurant capacity.  Local governments have been granted the authority to set the parameters for school shutdowns.  New York City has set a 3% threshold for school closings.  Clearly; if the positivity rate is over 3% the schools will close.  New York city says the 7 day average of positivity rate is 3.11%.  Hence the call to close schools.  New York state says "wait a minute, your rate is 2.54%.

Huh?  why the 2 numbers?  I know we have trouble with education standards in this country but this is so simple there should be no debate. Unless the state and the city use different numbers!

Again Huh? Different numbers? What? 

Here is a summary of the differences

City: Does not include antigen tests

State: Includes antigen tests

City: Date of Positive test is the date the sample was reported

State Date of Positivity test is the date the result was reported

I can only speculate as to whether the city or the state provides more values more representative of the over all covid risk  Antigen tests are not as accurate as PCR tests.  As to the date I again only speculate on how they may address the issue.  I would assume that the state would count all tests related to the result date.  Hopefully a test reported on a Wednesday would be counted against the test against it even if the sample was taken on Monday.  This is not an issue with the way the city does it.

This discrepancy has been going on since the start of the pandemic.  Calling into question all city and State decisions.

Like I said I do not want to debate the different methods.  All I ask is why didn't the state and city agree on how the numbers would be counted before this mess?