“Both privacy of individuals and protection of first responders are very important, but they are not mutually exclusive,” said State Rep. G.A. Hardaway (D-93), chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators (TBCSL).

Criticism on the firestorm level surfaced Monday with a COVID-19 Joint Task Force briefing during which when Memphis Police Department Director Mike Rallings acknowledged that first responders to emergency calls have had the addresses of COVID-19 patients for weeks.

Hardaway said state legislators learned on April 3 via a “somewhat cryptic” email from the state health department that data listing those who tested positive for the coronavirus would be made available to law enforcement.

Black Caucus members have presented three alterations to the COVID-19 disclosure format to Shelby County Health Department officials, the Tennessee Department of Minority Health and Disparity Elimination, the Tennessee Department of Health and the Tennessee Office of Minority Affairs:

“I am encouraged with our conversations,” Hardaway said.

At Monday’s COVID-19 Task Force briefing, Memphis Fire Department Director Gina Sweat called the COVID-19 information about those who have tested positive information “critical for protecting first responders working with a finite supply of personal protective equipment.”