This one is in Texas:
“A little two inch by two inch post-it note from my carrier was in there ,” said Bilbo. “That said they could no longer deliver my mail, because someone had tested positive for COVID-19 at this address.”
Bilbo explained that she worried about her bills and packages including her sisters cancer medication that they normally get through the mail.
“My mailbox is out on the street away from my house. I called Smithville Post office and they couldn’t tell me why except Bastrop police told them to stop my mail,” Bilbo explained.
Post-it note left for woman diagnosed with COVID-19 reads no more mail delivery
And this is Tennessee:
Gov. Bill Lee says the state’s release to police departments and sheriff’s offices the names and addresses of Tennesseans who have tested positive for the coronavirus is necessary to protect officers’ lives — information that is also being independently shared between city health officials and police in Nashville.
I understand there are Healthcare databases and have been since ages. From people suffering TB to keeping track who caught a venereal disease or hepatitis, health departments have such lists for healthcare reasons.But sharing the whole database with Law Enforcement under the guise of ” officer safety” and then start making changes on the person’s life just because they can? Unacceptable! What kind of round up were they preparing to do that they already got started in Nashville?
As far as I know, not even Paramedics have access to an unknown patient health history from the comfort of their ambulances. They all practice safety procedures to lower the posibility of catching something they don’t want and treat every patient as if they could be dangerous.
I am starting to see news items mentioning that the number of deaths from other commom but untreated maladies will surpass deaths by Wuhan V. because people are scared of going to the hospital and catch it. If you add the idea that cops will come after you if you happen to have the virus, I can see that number of nonWuhan deaths easily duplicating or triplicating.
This will totally encourage people to get tested, uh huh.
Just like saying vets with PTSD are dangerous and should have their guns confiscated will encourage them to seek treatment.
I get prescriptions by mail.
My dad got his diabetes supplies by mail.
My grandmother uses PillPack because it makes it easier to remember what drugs she needs to take every day.
More insurance companies are going to mail order pharmacies because they are cheaper.
Denying people mail order prescriptions because they have COVID is a death sentence.
If you want to know what would make me boogaloo, denying a family member mail order insulin and causing them to suffer a diabetic crisis because someone at that address tested positive for COVID would make me boogaloo.
Proving one again that trusting government with your privacy is illusory, regardless of the Fourth Amendment or HIPPA.
Imagine the justifiable reaction from left if the postman had left a post-it note “That said they could no longer deliver my mail, because someone had tested positive for AIDS at this address.”
I’ve been an RN for 40 years. Every. Single. Year. since enactment, my employers have schooled me on HIPPAA, and the “protected health information” and”need to know to provide care” [arts of the statute.
Me? I’d initiate federal (civil) litigation. The statute specifies that violations carry a 50,000 dollar fine, as well as prohibition from participation in federal (money) programs.
Popcorn time! I’d ask the letter carrier (a) to explain the mechanism by which he/she might be exposed to The Pox!, as well as (b) what might be the likely outcome of the above litigation, with him/her as named defendant?
Ditto, the local PO manager.
Ditto, the local law enforcement manager.
And the jackwagon to whom that worthy reports.
Hell, I’m laid off and on lockdown. I got all damned day to complete, and file, litigation!
“Bastrop Interim Assistant Chief of Police Vicky Steffanic tells KXAN that they did not give such guidance and they don’t have jurisdiction in Smithville or over the Post Master.”
HMMM
Still, no public official can tell me what exactly is so horrific about this disease that any of this is warranted.
OK, I get it. Potential death, hospitalization, possible long term health problems. But…. compared to??? Seriously, I do not believe there is a communicable disease that cannot result in long term health problems.
When AIDS was really a death sentence, no one was sharing that information with the cops, the post office, or any other public service. Instead, the cops took precautions when dealing with the public.
So… what changed? What is so horrible about this disease?
I don’t even understand what logic it is that its dangerous to deliver mail to a remove mailbox far from the subject. There is ZERO evidence disease can spread in that manner.
Its not about safety. Its about contorl
So much for the ads that air on TV about 10x per day from USPS saying “we always deliver and always will”.
I’d say some major immediate escalation is needed on that “no mail delivery” thing. Calls to the US Attorney, the congressional delegation, and the state AG, for starters. Also local media outlets. Perhaps the FBI. Tampering with US Mail delivery is, I believe, a federal felony.
Do not like this practice at all. It sounds illegal to me under HIPA but IANAL.
However, one point,
“They all practice safety procedures to lower the posibility of catching something they don’t want and treat every patient as if they could be dangerous.”
The safety precautions for Covi-19 would include gowning, gloves. eye/face protection, possibly booties and definetlly N-95 or PAPR which would all have to be changed prior to seeing anybody else that may not have/have had Covid-19. Very time consuming, expensive and impractical in many situations.
Not sure what the answer is, just trying to look at it from from a number of perspectives.
And, the risk of actually catching the disease (and getting any symptoms at all) seem to be dropping faster than panties on prom night.
Yet…. for some reason this disease is so terrifying that the USPS has stopped delivering mail, and the cops are not engaging.