db-free-coverage-gate-integration-test-skip-inflation

pytest —cov reports 66% when 54 integration tests auto-skip due to missing Postgres credentials, falling below the 70% gate. The gap is not untested code — it is tested code gated behind a live DB. Coverage gates on DB-dependent codebases must either spin up a DB service in CI or document the expected floor for the DB-free path to avoid false alarms.