Cook County Board members narrowly approved a resolution Thursday to share addresses of COVID-19 patients with first responders, following an emotional debate about the measure’s intention to safeguard front-line workers versus fears it would violate individuals’ privacy and civil rights.
Commissioners voted 9-7 with one member abstaining from the resolution, which would direct the Cook County Department of Public Health to disclose locations of those testing positive for the coronavirus with 911 dispatchers in suburban Cook County every day for two months.
While the measure by Commissioner Scott Britton, D-Glenview, is only a recommendation, department of public health spokesman Kim Junius said the Cook County Department of Public Health will follow the address-sharing practice because of the board’s instructions. That’s in spite of public health co-administrator Rachel Rubin’s warning before the vote that the practice was inadequate and dangerous for both citizens and first responders… Please click here to read Alice Yin’s story in the Tribune.
May 26 update: Cook County News Blog – President Preckwinkle Issues Veto of Resolution to Share Addresses of COVID-Positive Individuals with First Responders; Chicago Tribune – Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle vetoes ‘extraordinarily bad’ plan to share coronavirus-positive addresses with first responders, a first in her tenure