MEMPHIS, Tenn — In tonight's Ransom Note: transparency in a pandemic.
The Shelby County Health Department has to maintain a difficult balance protecting the privacy rights of patients versus the public's right to know.
But Local 24 News Investigator Jeni Diprizio learned our health department isn't are transparent as other Tennessee counties in letting the public know details about COVID outbreaks.
So when she asked about which workplaces had the most COVID outbreaks, she was told she had to file an open records request.
She got the results Thursday:
- Nike Logistics- 29 cases
- Amazon Distribution Center- 88 cases
- The Fedex Super Hub- 200 cases
Frontline workers at our major hospitals are also getting hit:
- Methodist University Hospitals- 50 cases
- Baptist Memorial Hospitals- 60 cases
- Regional One- 67 cases
All these clusters, defined as ten or more, are happening in large indoor work spaces where people work closely to one another.
There's no one to blame here. In fact, learning this kind of information reminds all of us the importance of staying vigilant.
The Shelby County Health Department needs to do better.
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