COMING UP AT 6: Positive COVID-19 patient addresses released to local agencies

COMING UP AT 6: Positive COVID-19 patient addresses released to local agencies

23ABC has discovered that the health department has been sending out a list with the addresses of positive COVID-19 patients to certain agencies.

An attorney who specializes in medical privacy protection says what they're doing is compeltely legal.

Coming up tonight on 23ABC News at 6, Jessica Harrington shows us who that list is going to, who has access to it, and why it's legal for the public health department to sent out that information without the patient's permission.

AND ONE AT THE ORCHARD'S POSTACUTE FACILITY IN CENTRALBAKERSFIELD.LIMITED INFORMATION HAS BEENRELEASED ABOUT WHO HAS TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR COVID-19.IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS, THEHEALTH DEPARTMENT HAS STARTEDRELEASING MORE INFORMATION ABOUTWHO THE POSITIVE PATIENTS ARE,BUT AS 23ABC DISCOVERED, SENDINGOUT A LIST WITH THE ADDRESSES OFPOSITIVE COVID-19 PATIENTS TOCERTAIN AGENCIES AND AN ATTORNEYWHO SPECIALIZES IN MEDICALPRIVACY PROTECTION SAYS WHATTHEY ARE DOING IS COMPLETELYLEGAL.