Cook County president blocks measure to give first responders access to COVID-19 patient addresses

The top official in the county surrounding Chicago blocked a resolution Tuesday that would have provided first responders with addresses of COVID-19 patients, saying the information would lead to increased discrimination against black and Latino communities.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle vetoed the measure, which the Board of Commissioners approved last week in a narrow 9-7 vote.

Ms. Preckwinkle said the measure unfairly stigmatized minorities.

“African Americans and members of the Latinx population may have a longstanding distrust of public health authorities, stemming from their previous experiences with the healthcare system,” she wrote in a letter to her fellow board members.

“Disclosure of personal health information may create an additional barrier to access healthcare, frustrating the Cook County Department of Public Health’s efforts to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.” the letter continued.

Both the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Cook County Department of Public Health also opposed the measure on racial grounds. Ms. Preckwinkle cited their concerns as among the reasons for her veto.

“I cannot support the release of this information and am wholly disappointed in the decision to dispute the opinions of our public health experts,” she wrote.

It is the first time Ms. Preckwinkle used her veto power to block a resolution.

Black and Latino communities are at greatest risk for severe illness and death from coronavirus, according to statistics from the Cook County Department of Public Health.

Compared to white residents in the county, blacks have nearly four times the number of cases and Latinos have almost three times the number of cases.

Tom Weitzel, police chief in Riverside, Illinois, said Ms. Preckwinkle’s assertions of racism were a veiled shot against law enforcement and not factual.

“The veto by President Preckwinkle is absolutely a non-supportive statement against police, and for that matter for all public safety including police, fire, paramedic and dispatch personnel,” he said in a statement to The Washington Times. “This resolution was always about the safety of first responders and it always will be

Commissioner Scott Britton, who sponsored the measure, said he would not challenge the veto.

“While I am disappointed the president vetoed, the president and I want to protect our first responders and we will work together on making sure they have all the [personal protection equipment] they need going forward,” he said in a statement.