MDH Pressured To Release Locations Of Coronavirus Cases

TWIN CITIES, MN — The Minnesota Department of Health is facing increasing pressure to release more information about the new coronavirus cases in the state. Currently, the department only states the county where the case was confirmed.

The department says releasing more would jeopardize the patient's right to privacy and violate state law, but some experts in the health field disagree with their decision to conceal information.

"The public health of the community and state should take precedence over potential violations of privacy in an emergency pandemic situation such as this one," Joseph Gaugler, a professor at University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health, told the Star Tribune.

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"If the naming of facilities can help with surveillance and management efforts of COVID-19 to manage outbreaks both within and beyond these facilities and redirect scarce resources then this should occur with all haste."

The number of confirmed deaths related to the COVID-19 is up to 17 in Minnesota, state health officials announced Wednesday. Out of those 17, 11 of the deaths were people who lived in a nursing home. MDH has been criticized for not releasing the names of those facilities.

Read more at the Star Tribune.