The Cook County Board of Commissioners has voted yes to a resolution to share the addresses of positive COVID-19 patients with suburban first responders. The board claims they voted to pass this motion in an effort to protect first responders against the virus, but this raises serious concerns about the privacy of citizens.
Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot
Today, to my great astonishment and disappointment, nine members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to capitulate to ignorance and bigotry by voting to force the disclosure of the addresses of every patient who has tested positive for COVID-19.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot via Twitter
Mayor Lightfoot later went on to say that the sharing of addresses would never become law in Chicago. Cook County is not the first municipality to discuss the sharing of COVID-19 patients’ addresses. Recent events in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic go to show how little our personal freedoms matter to those in power, and just how little people care when they’re scared.