NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – As of Tuesday, Tennessee’s total coronavirus cases had bumped up to seven and Tennessee’s Department of Health declined to note the locations for three of them.
Tennessee is limiting what information it releases about coronavirus cases, becoming an outlier compared to most other states and sparking alarm among some officials worried the move will only stir public mistrust.
Disagreement over the policy emerged this week as the health department announced that it will no longer identify the county of where a new COVID-19 case is confirmed.
Health officials said the goal is to protect patient privacy. But critics warn that the move leaves the public in the dark about areas they may want to avoid.
“I fully acknowledge and understand that everybody wants to know the county because everybody wants to try to determine their own risk,” said Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey. “That’s understandable. But we also have to keep in mind that we’re talking about patients here.”