ACLU of Georgia Says State Intrudes Privacy of COVID-19 Patients, Fails to Protect First Responders

ATLANTA – This week, Governor Kemp announced the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency will divulge to 911 centers the addresses of individuals who are COVID-19 positive.

“Protecting the health of first responders is very important; however, public health experts have noted that asymptomatic individuals, people who have not been tested, may transmit the virus. This practice is intrusive on privacy without conferring additional safety for our first responders. Government practice must be informed by the science,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia. “As the Governor’s shelter-in-place order implies, our first responders need to be equipped to assume any person they encounter may have coronavirus and use the masks and other precautions recommended by the CDC.”