East Twin Cities

A state senator demands the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) to publish the names or locations of long-term care facilities where residents or staff have been stricken with the coronavirus.

Sen. Karin Housley said in a statement issued by the Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus on April 1 she is “uncomfortable” with MDH officials concealing vital information that could affect thousands of state residents.

“We can be, and must be, transparent and forthcoming in a way that protects an individual’s right to privacy,” the chair of the Senate Family Care and Aging Committee said. “Therefore, I am asking Gov. [Tim] Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health to immediately disclose the names and locations of long-term care facilities where a resident or staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 – and that this remain the administration’s policy moving forward.”

According to the Star Tribune, the MDH has continuously refused to release names and locations of the growing number of long-term care facilities where residents and staff have tested positive despite the growing death toll from the illness. The agency asserted that it must keep the information confidential.

Minnesota recorded 789 COVID-19 cases as of April 3, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. While those between the ages of 20 and 24 account for the most cases, it is elderly residents who are mostly among the fatalities, according to recent data.

“As Minnesotans confront a new reality, access to information is critical as we make decisions for ourselves and our loved ones,” Housley said. “We must make full disclosure the standard in Minnesota, just as they have done in Colorado, Oregon and other states hit by the coronavirus. Withholding this information only brings unnecessary grief and frustration to many Minnesota families. In the midst of an unprecedented crisis, transparency has arguably never been more important.”