NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Officials with the Metro Public Health Department have updated procedures when sharing data about confirmed COVID-19 patients with first responders. The updates add extra safeguards for patients.
The changes are listed below:
- Addresses are deleted from the Department of Emergency Communications' Computer Aided Dispatch System 30 days after they're entered.
- Names are purged from Metro Nashville Police Department's (MNPD) database each Monday.
- MNPD's database is repopulated with currently active cases after the purge, so that the names of those who have recovered are not in the system.
- The Metro Public Health Department will place a notice on forms used at Davidson County's community assessment centers informing the public that positive test results will be shared with first responders.
The Metro Public Health Department says all information is kept secure, and only shared for the safety of first responders, such as the fire department, EMS, and MNPD. This allows responders to know when to take additional precautions.
Responders only know of a person's positive case if they are dispatched to a location with that positive case, such as their home.
The information is only used for official purposes. Unauthorized release of information is prohibited, and the Metro Public Health Department has the ability to audit whoever accesses a particular record.
