Arizona Health Department lawyers argued Wednesday at a court hearing against lawsuits filed by Arizona media, including Arizona, and the name of the nursing home where the new coronavirus outbreak should be kept secret. .

According to lawyer Craig Morgan, a media request for data collected weekly by the state (which reveals the nursing home where the COVID-19 had occurred) was “not a standard public record request.” The public access was supposed.

He said two state laws keep information confidential.

Create confidential information about an infectious disease that is collected “in the process of providing a health care service” or obtained from a health care provider “under authorization”. Others have said that medical information that may identify people has been collected “in the process of enhanced surveillance recommendations”.

Morgan proposed that legal proceedings related to the lawsuit might need to be sealed, and state medical staff would be “frankly busy” at the “front of the pandemic” and would be generous to the judge in time. Was asked.

Morgan sought two weeks to respond in writing to the lawsuit. Judge Christopher Cooley of the Maricopa County Superior Court instead set a 10-day deadline for May 15. The oral argument in the lawsuit could take place on June 5 or perhaps earlier, the judge said.

David Bodney, a lawyer representing the press, said state secrets generally denied the opportunity to be accountable to civil servants and made little sense.

He pointed out that the state has already published various data on new coronavirus cases in the state.

“It’s not time to fight the law or put the economic benefits of the nursing home industry above the health and safety of the public,” Bodney said. “But that’s what these tools do.”

Please tell us: Tell me more about the effects of coronaviruses in Arizona

nursing home May be the most dangerous setting for an Arizona pandemic. But state health officials Deny data sharing How many of the residents of the nursing home are infected, or even who is infected.

In Maricopa County, County health record It indicates that nursing home residents account for approximately two-thirds of people who have died to date. About 120 of the more than 500 long-term care facilities in the state’s largest county report at least one or more cases of the new coronavirus. And the number of infected residents and staff increases daily.

Two nursing homes in Chandler, Pennington Gardens And Desert Cove Nursing Center Multiple infections and deaths have been reported.

More than half of all COVID-19 deaths in Pima county work in nursing homes.

One Tucson Nursing Home, Sapphire Nursing Home and Rehabilitation saw its COVID-19 case Double or more Sixty inhabitants and thirty staff were infected, with multiple deaths reported.

Arizona is a minority in the state that does not announce the name of nursing homes during a pandemic. According to the USA TODAY survey, 32 states and the District of Columbia Released full or partial list of facilities COVID-19 case. 18 states, including Arizona, Alabama, Texas, and Pennsylvania, do not publish facility names.

Some members of the Arizona news media requested information but were denied.

Dr. Cara Christ, director of health services in Arizona, said at a recent press conference that a court order was required to share such information, and Doov Ducey said that Christ would be on the issue during the press conference. Postponed to

The press has not sought to identify individuals, arguing that it would be very difficult to do so for a large number of sick people.

Bodney, a lawyer representing the press, said in a court Wednesday that the state’s position would endanger the public by denying access to information.

Under Administrative order signed by the governor On Monday, state-approved nursing homes must disclose to applicants whether COVID-19 has occurred or has died. However, only you will be required to request that information.

Bodney says that every day people are considering placing their loved ones in nursing homes, so they shouldn’t have to file an application to find out if there is a new coronavirus outbreak. It was

Contact Caitlin McGlade [email protected] Or 602-444-0582. Follow her on Twitter Yutaro.

Contact the reporter with [email protected] Or 602-444-8072. Follow her on Twitter @anneryman.

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