McHenry Times

A judge has ordered McHenry County health officials to disclose the names and addresses of coronavirus patients to the McHenry County Sheriff's Department.

The order states that the county health department must share the information with 911 dispatchers within 24 hours of being notified. Dispatchers can distribute the information to officers responding to calls so that they can take precautions. The information is confidential and should be discarded seven days after the Health Department deems a person no longer contagious. 

“It’s critical that law enforcement receive this information in a timely fashion so we can keep our officers healthy in order to continue providing the best possible service to our communities,” McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim said in a statement obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

As of May 14, Illinois reported 84,698 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including 3,792 deaths. McHenry County has 1,049 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

A lawsuit was filed on behalf of Sheriff Prim by the county state's attorney's office to release the information. Four additional municipal police departments soon added their names to the suit.

The Health Department had previously agreed to share the addresses of infected persons but not the names.  

“MCDH believes that having the names of these patients will actually confer a false sense of security to the police, and that they should be taking extra protective steps with all people they encounter, including with colleagues,” the Health Department said in a statement obtained by the Sun-Times.

Prior to filing suit, Prim had requested the names and addresses of coronavirus patients be shared with 911 dispatchers, who would relay the information only to officers responding to calls at those locations. The initial request was denied even though state and federal officials said disclosure of the information was allowed.

“This was a no-brainer for the Health Department, a common-sense, confidential, and entirely lawful way they could have worked collaboratively with police departments to assist in enhancing the safety of officers and the community in these dangerous times, and they strangely refused,” McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said.