The Morgan County Health Department has urged everyone to assume that everyone is infected with the virus and to stop calling to request the identity of those who are infected.
While there have been some emergency provisions applied to HIPAA (the law that protects personal health information) by the Office of Civil Rights, they have been implemented to improve care coordination between providers, as well as increase access between patients and providers. In some cases, celebrities and not famous people who have tested positive for COVID-19 have made the decision to disclose their diagnosis in an effort to bring awareness to the pandemic and reinforce the critical importance of flattening the curve.
The Morgan County Health Department has said they will contact individuals if they have been in direct contact with an individual who has been infected. They are also using this time to remind everyone to take proper precautions to stop the spread of the virus including staying at home, washing your hands, not touching your face, and social distancing if you do have to get out.
As of today in Morgan County, there have been 28 negative tests, 4 positive tests, and 9 tests with pending results as a part of the announcement of the death that came earlier this afternoon.