[FramBors] Massachusetts Department of Public Health Issues Guidance around Issuing Community-specific Data about New Positive COVID-19 Cases

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What people want to know is not covered by HIPPA. People are asking for
locations and times. Such as someone who was a customer at the Dunkin Donuts
in Saxonville on such and such a date tested positive. No one is asking for
personally identifiable information. That is what HIPPA covers. Therefore,
it is erroneous for Framingham to claim that they cannot share "any additional
information" because of HIPPA.
 
There is nothing in the MDPH guidance that prohibits sharing this non-
personally identifying information. To the contrary, the press release below
specifically quotes the MDPH guidance to state "that many boards of health find
value in sharing community-specific data as part of a risk communication plan
and to keep the public informed about the scope of the local public health
effort." That is not limited to the number of cases.
 
Surrounding communities are sharing this vital information without compromising
privacy. Examples include the employee at the CVS in Wayland, and the one at
the Whole Foods in Sudbury. The court systems are sharing similar information,
and even more, about cases in the court houses. It is not illegal. It is
important. We know about Saxonville Dunkin Donuts due to good reporting/
 
Yes, we should all act as if everyone is infected. But that is not reality.
 
We deserve better. We should be demanding better
 
Suze Craighead

Rest of post

-----Original Message-----
From: Framingham Neighbors - FramBors - Massachusetts
<<email obscured>> On Behalf Of Vicki Hammel
Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2020 2:10 PM
To: <email obscured>
Cc: <<email obscured>> <<email obscured>>; frambors
<<email obscured>>; e-dem framnobscot
<framnobscot@forums.e-democracy.org>
Subject: Re: [FramBors] Massachusetts Department of Public Health Issues
Guidance around Issuing Community-specific Data about New Positive COVID-19
Cases
 
I’m not sure why the response from Rich Shapiro. The release tells us that
Framingham will follow the MDPH guidelines and will continue to share the #’s
of covid. I think the Mayor and the Framingham Department of Health are going
to both follow the guidelines for privacy, and continue to report the numbers.
So, maybe Mr. Shapiro would be willing to say more about his response? Vicki
Hammel
 
> On Mar 28, 2020, at 1:14 PM, <email obscured> wrote:
>
> Mayor to residents: GFYS
>
> Rich Shapiro
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Framingham Municipal News and Announcements
>> <<email obscured>>
>> Date: March 28, 2020 at 1:01:23 PM EDT
>> To: <email obscured>
>> Subject: Massachusetts Department of Public Health Issues Guidance
>> around Issuing Community-specific Data about New Positive COVID-19
>> Cases
>> Reply-To: <email obscured>
>>
>> 
>> View this in your browser
>>
>> This complimentary message is being sent to opt-in subscribers who might be
interested in its content. If you do not wish to continue receiving these
messages, please accept our apologies, and unsubscribe by following the
instructions at the bottom of this message.
>> * * * * * * *
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3/28/2020
>>
>> For further information contact:
>>
>> Kelly McFalls
>> <email obscured>
>> Tel (508) 532-5437
>> M (774) 285-1315
>>
>>
>>
>> *Morning COVID-19 UPDATE*
>> Massachusetts Department of Public Health Issues Guidance around
>> Issuing Community-specific Data about New Positive COVID-19 Cases
>>
>> Framingham - The Framingham Health Department, as well as all Health
Departments and Boards of Health in all state municipalities, received relevant
guidance yesterday from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH)
about issuing community-specific information about new positive COVID-19 cases.
To protect the privacy and confidentiality of individuals who test positive for
COVID-19, the MDPH only publicly shares positive case numbers and deaths by
county.
>>
>> The MDPH noted "that many boards of health find value in sharing
community-specific data as part of a risk communication plan and to keep the
public informed about the scope of the local public health effort." Framingham
currently shares the number of new positive test cases daily.
>>
>> The Department has not shared any additional information about those who
have tested positive because of HIPAA privacy laws. The Health Department is in
contact with the people who were potentially exposed to the positive cases and
the owners of the businesses or place of employment where the potential
exposures occurred to inform and counsel them on next steps.
>>
>> The Framingham Health Department finds that there is value for Framingham
residents to understand that the virus is spreading in the community. MDPH
specified that "if [communities] choose to share the number of cases or deaths
for these purposes, please do so with the highest regard for privacy and
confidentiality by not including any information other than the case count."
The City will continue to share these numbers with the highest regard for
privacy and confidentiality by not including any additional information other
than the case count in public announcements about new cases.?
>>
>> As of Friday, March 27, the number of people in the City who had tested
positive for COVID-19 was reported as 37. With ten cases recovered and the
City's first COVID-19 fatality (announced March 26), Framingham has 26 active
cases.
>>
>> COVID-19 in Framingham: Information on COVID-19 in Framingham can be
>> found at www.FraminghamMa.Gov/covid19, which is updated daily.
>> Residents can find updates on the website, Facebook, and Twitter -
>> @Framingham_MA. If there is an urgent update, the City will employ
>> the City's "Alert Framingham" system, otherwise known as reverse 911.
>> To sign up for the City's reverse 911 system, please go here:
>> https://www.smart911.com/
>>

Share

I wish the City would post some more relevant info that could help us all
without giving away any private of personal information, such as :the
common denominator amongst these cases is a trip to (name the store,
business, etc.). I would find it helpful to know things like this, and also
to know if there is a specific place and what is being done about it, etc.
 
There is plenty of information that could be shared with all of us without
getting into any HIPA violations.

Rest of post

 
On Sat, Mar 28, 2020 at 1:15 PM <<email obscured>> wrote:
 
> Mayor to residents: GFYS
>
> Rich Shapiro
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> > From: Framingham Municipal News and Announcements <
> <email obscured>>
> > Date: March 28, 2020 at 1:01:23 PM EDT
> > To: <email obscured>
> > Subject: Massachusetts Department of Public Health Issues Guidance
> around Issuing Community-specific Data about New Positive COVID-19 Cases
> > Reply-To: <email obscured>
> >
> > 
> > View this in your browser
> >
> > This complimentary message is being sent to opt-in subscribers who might
> be interested in its content. If you do not wish to continue receiving
> these messages, please accept our apologies, and unsubscribe by following
> the instructions at the bottom of this message.
> > * * * * * * *
> > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 3/28/2020
> >
> > For further information contact:
> >
> > Kelly McFalls
> > <email obscured>
> > Tel (508) 532-5437
> > M (774) 285-1315
> >
> >
> >
> > *Morning COVID-19 UPDATE*
> > Massachusetts Department of Public Health Issues Guidance around Issuing
> > Community-specific Data about New Positive COVID-19 Cases
> >
> > Framingham - The Framingham Health Department, as well as all Health
> Departments and Boards of Health in all state municipalities, received
> relevant guidance yesterday from the Massachusetts Department of Public
> Health (MDPH) about issuing community-specific information about new
> positive COVID-19 cases. To protect the privacy and confidentiality of
> individuals who test positive for COVID-19, the MDPH only publicly shares
> positive case numbers and deaths by county.
> >
> > The MDPH noted "that many boards of health find value in sharing
> community-specific data as part of a risk communication plan and to keep
> the public informed about the scope of the local public health effort."
> Framingham currently shares the number of new positive test cases daily.
> >
> > The Department has not shared any additional information about those who
> have tested positive because of HIPAA privacy laws. The Health Department
> is in contact with the people who were potentially exposed to the positive
> cases and the owners of the businesses or place of employment where the
> potential exposures occurred to inform and counsel them on next steps.
> >
> > The Framingham Health Department finds that there is value for
> Framingham residents to understand that the virus is spreading in the
> community. MDPH specified that "if [communities] choose to share the number
> of cases or deaths for these purposes, please do so with the highest regard
> for privacy and confidentiality by not including any information other than
> the case count." The City will continue to share these numbers with the
> highest regard for privacy and confidentiality by not including any
> additional information other than the case count in public announcements
> about new cases.?
> >
> > As of Friday, March 27, the number of people in the City who had tested
> positive for COVID-19 was reported as 37. With ten cases recovered and the
> City's first COVID-19 fatality (announced March 26), Framingham has 26
> active cases.
> >
> > COVID-19 in Framingham: Information on COVID-19 in Framingham can be
> found at www.FraminghamMa.Gov/covid19, which is updated daily. Residents
> can find updates on the website, Facebook, and Twitter - @Framingham_MA.
> If there is an urgent update, the City will employ the City's "Alert
> Framingham" system, otherwise known as reverse 911. To sign up for the
> City's reverse 911 system, please go here: https://www.smart911.com/
> >
> > ###
> >
> > * * * * * * *
> >
> > This complimentary message is being sent to opt-in subscribers who might
> be interested in its content. If you do not wish to continue receiving
> these messages, please accept our apologies, and unsubscribe by visiting
> our website at:
> > http://www.framinghamma.gov​/list​.asp​?mode​=del
> >
> > You are receiving this message because you are subscribed to Municipal
> News and Announcements on www.framinghamma.gov. To unsubscribe, click the
> following link:
> > Unsubscribe
>
>
> Rich Shapiro
> Framingham, Framingham
> About/contact Rich Shapiro: http://forums.e-democracy.org​/p​/richshapiro
>
>
> Be sure to read our charter at
> http://forums.e-democracy.org​/groups​/frambors​/charter
>
> "Time flies like the wind. Fruit flies like a banana." in tribute to
> Frambors founder Steve Orr, who included this quote in his personal footer.
>
>
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--
*March 2020 Greetings!

*
 
Roberta Waters, REALTOR®
Realty Executives Boston West
Direct: 508.904.0306
<email obscured>
 
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