The Tennessee government is providing the names and addresses of COVID-19 patients to law enforcement agencies and other first responders, documents obtained by the Associated Press reveal.
According to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) obtained by the outlet, the Tennessee Department of Health is “disclosing” the information to the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board, which in turn passes the information along to first responders.
“Health is disclosing to TECB a list of names and addresses of individuals documented as having tested positive, or received treatment, for COVID-19,” the memo states. “Health intends to update this list daily; after 30 days on the list, an individual’s name and address will roll off of this list.”
The document states that the Department of Health “may cease disclosure of the list upon the termination of the statewide state of emergency for COVID-19.”
The Associated Press also obtained an email sent by Brandon Gibson, Gov. Bill Lee’s senior advisor, to local mayors across the state.
“We know that first responder access to information regarding COVID-19 cases is of utmost concern,” Gibson said in the email.
“Once the MOUs are executed, the Department of Health and ECB expect the information flow to begin fairly quickly,” she added. “We ask for your patience as the process begins and please know that the health and safety of all Tennesseans is our primary goal.”
Many other states enacted similar policies after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services put out a guidance allowing states to share COVID-19 patient info with law enforcement. Tennessee, however, never publicly announced the arrangement.
Gov. Lee briefly discussed the matter in a comment provided to the Associated Press Friday.
“We know that first responders are required to, and law enforcement required to, come in contact with these people as part of their job, and that’s why Health and Human Services gave that guidance to states, and that’s why we’re implementing that,” said Lee.
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of The Minnesota Sun and The Ohio Star. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee.
Find the home address of who is giving out our info and get their info out to the public.
DEFINITELY in violation of HIPAA laws…
https://www.hipaajournal.com/what-happens-if-you-break-hipaa-rules/
They don’t track people with HIV or Hepatitis.
This should be a violation of the HIIPPA laws but the law was written with a big loophole in it that allows it to be stepped on when there is a public health issue. Absolutely the wrong thing to do.
Or it can be gutted by executive order… like Obama did to sell your children’s information under Common Core to “third parties”.
Bill is acting like a Democrat. Seldom have i been as disappointed. It appeared he would be different, but alas, Bill just another politician cut from the same mold as ole Mitt
I disagree with this proposal as it assumes that those who have coronavirus are criminals who refuse to cooperate with first-responders. It is essential that law enforcement earn and keep the trust of the law-abiding. This move could undermine such trust that is essential to successful law enforcement as it could cause the law-abiding to think that police suddenly view THEM as criminal or cause the law-abiding to think that politicians and law enforcement want to make scapegoats of specific groups of people.
Oh, just go get tested, it doesn’t hurt one bit! Right now.
But with your DNA now being on file with the “central government”, who knows what the future will bring. Maybe nothing. Maybe a SWAT Team breaking down your front door claiming you’re the person of interest, because they found a sample of your DNA at a crime scene.
This is a very dangerous slope that we are on.
Remember what happened when the genealogy commercials started airing? People flocked to give their DNA. Now they are making arrests of suspects who are related to those who gave their DNA – DNA which matches that found at crime scenes. Good or bad? You decide.