NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
A3
Balancing patient privacy and public safety
EOC plans to request people who test
positive for COVID-19 sign waivers
to allow release of information to
dispatch and law enforcement
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Health
Department plans to ask
those who test positive for
the new coronavirus to vol-
untarily share that informa-
tion with the Emergency
Operations Center and the
local dispatch so both agen-
cies can track the person
and — if law enforcement
or first responders are called
out to the individual’s resi-
dence — warn them to take
precautions to keep from
contracting the virus.
Law enforcement and
first responders, essential
jobs critical to the infra-
structure of a community
during a crisis or disaster,
are at a high risk of exposure
and spread of the virus, said
County Commissioner Sam
Palmer, the public informa-
tion officer for the county’s
coronavirus response.
Palmer said, in a rural
area with limited resources,
the community must be
proactive about protecting
law enforcement and first
responders.
A dispatcher’s questions
could mean the difference
between identifying a case
in advance or getting a first
responder infected, he said.
The dispatch screening
guidelines are supposed to
be based on the state health
authority guidelines.
“Oregon Health Author-
ity is asking that people
let first responders know
that they are positive for
COVID-19 if they know
that information and are
able to provide it when con-
tacting first responders,”
said Lauren Wirtis, pub-
lic information officer for
the state’s COVID-19 Joint
Information Center.
Valerie Maynard, Grant
County Emergency Com-
munications Agency direc-
tor, said these concerns
about privacy and public
health came up in the 1980s
and 1990s with HIV.
Maynard said, while she
would follow the health
department’s lead on whether
or not to flag the residence of
someone who tested positive
for the virus, she still wants
to run it by legal counsel.
Contributed photo
Law enforcement and first responders meet at the Emergency Operations Center.
Maynard said there are
precautions for various other
diseases law enforcement
and first responders should
be taking when they go out
on calls as well.
Grant County Health
Department Director Kim-
berly Lindsay said she
understands the reason why
law enforcement and emer-
gency workers would want
to know ahead of time.
“The health depart-
ment is here to support our
law enforcement and first
responders,” Lindsay said.
“These are unprecedented
times.”
However,
the
1996
Health Insurance Porta-
bility and Accountability
Act ensures that a person’s
health records remain undis-
closed to the general pub-
lic even after someone’s
death. Thus, releasing the
name of a person who con-
tracted COVID-19 without a
signed release would violate
HIPAA.
Palmer said those in the
medical field, such as doc-
tors, nurses, and medi-
cal assistants, go through
training on complying with
HIPAA. Because the EOC
staff are not in the medical
field, they will not go through
HIPAA training, he said.
Palmer said, in lieu of
HIPAA training, they have
all signed documents stat-
ing that if they were to share
protected patient information
they would go to jail.
“Anyone who shares
patient health information
would go to jail,” Palmer
said.
Palmer said he has sent a
proposal to state Rep. Mark
Owens and Sen. Lynn Find-
ley to take to the gover-
nor that would allow him
to share confirmed COVID-
19 cases with the EOC and
dispatch without a signed
release.
Palmer said, with lim-
ited personal protective
equipment and limited law
enforcement, the county
does not have backup
resources.
“If you lose your quarter-
back, you have no team,” he
said.
Cities in Grant County
declaring a state of emergency
Eagle file photo
Grant County Undersheriff Zach Mobley, left, and Deputy Dave Dobler, incident commander of the county’s coronavirus
response, address the Grant County Court.
Emergency Operations Center
training neighborhood watch
Volunteers will drive private, unmarked
cars but wear identifying vests
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County coronavi-
rus response incident com-
mander Dave Dobler said
the emergency operations
center would begin train-
ing 11-15 volunteers this
week to be on a neighbor-
hood watch program in sig-
nificant areas in the county.
“They won’t be a posse
or a renegade,” Dobler
said. “They will be another
set of eyes and ears in the
county.”
Dobler said the EOC
is responding to concerns
in the community about
the possibility of crime
increasing during the pub-
lic health crisis.
“People are worried
about looters and sort of
‘Mad Max’ environment,”
Dobler said.
Dobler said, while
he does not foresee a
post-apocalyptic scenario,
he still believes commu-
nities that take a proactive
approach see less crime.
Dobler said it is the
“Broken Windows The-
ory,” a theory of policing
that, once disorder begins
in the neighborhood, things
can quickly get out of con-
trol, leading to more crime.
County Commissioner
Sam Palmer, the pub-
lic information officer for
the county’s coronavi-
rus response, said Grant
County is a small commu-
nity with limited resources.
“We have one grocery
store, one gas station and
one pharmacy,” Palmer
said. “And if the situation
continues to go on, pretty
soon people will be coming
in from somewhere else.”
Dobler said the group of
volunteers will go through
specific training online.
They will be given radios,
and if they see something,
they will report it to inci-
dent command, who will
report it to the sheriff’s
office.
Dobler said they will
drive private, unmarked
cars, but they will wear
identifying vests.
He said background
checks will be completed,
and they will sign volun-
teer agreements.
Dobler declined to pro-
vide the names of the vol-
unteers. The Eagle has sub-
mitted a public records
request.
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S175346-1
Cities in Grant County
are beginning to declare a
state of emergency as cases
of COVID-19 continue to
rise in Oregon.
John Day, Prairie City,
Monument, Mt. Vernon and
Canyon City have declared
a state of emergency in
preparation for the uncer-
tain future of COVID-19 in
Grant County.
Prairie City Mayor Jim
Hamsher said that Prai-
rie City’s declaration helps
promote proactive actions
taken to protect the health
and businesses of people in
the city. Hamsher added that
the declaration will also help
by giving flexibility and the
ability to make split-second
decisions if needed or fill a
public work position in case
a staff member is sick or
unavailable.
Mt.
Vernon
City
Recorder Tami Kowing
said that the declaration will
give protection for busi-
nesses by providing them
with an opportunity for fed-
eral funding. Along with
the declaration, Mt. Ver-
non City Hall is now closed
to the public, but payments
can be made by drop box,
mail or by phone. The city
also decided to close their
park.
Canyon City Mayor
Steve Fischer said that the
statewide order from Gov.
Kate Brown put a halt to
everything they had already
planned to stop with the
declaration such as nones-
sential businesses.
“It does open us up so
we can get some recovery
if we have to incur any cost
from COVID-19 through
the state and federal govern-
ment, and that’s what a lot
of it is about,” Fischer said.
Fischer talked to Corry
Rider, the city recorder, and
asked him if he would feel
better if Canyon City City
Hall were closed. Rider told
Fischer there are few people
that come in and nobody has
come in unhealthy, so he is
fine with city hall remain-
ing open.
Monument
declared
a state of emergency on
March 23.
“This is just a formality.
The city needs to publicly
declare a state of emergency
to ensure the city can run at
its entirety during this pan-
demic,” the city of Monu-
ment posted on their Face-
book page to let community
members know about the
decision.
The cities of Seneca,
Dayville and Long Creek
have not declared a state
of emergency, but they are
well aware of the situa-
tion and are focused on the
safety of the people in their
communities.
Seneca has closed their
city office as of March 24
to walk-in traffic, but pay-
ments and documents can
be submitted through the
drop box on the west side of
the building.
“The regular council
meeting and public hear-
ings for ordinances 98,
99 and 100 scheduled for
April 14th have been can-
celled,” said Seneca City
Manager Raamin Burrell.
“Notices will be reposted
when the public hearings
are rescheduled. Seneca is
calling for any and all vol-
unteers to help assist res-
idents with supply runs.
Please contact the City
Office for information,
541-542-2161. Notices will
be posted in Seneca.”
Dayville Mayor Ilah
Bennett said that the city
lawyer contacted them and
said the city has the ability
to declare a state of emer-
gency but at the moment the
city is doing well.
“As of right now, we are
doing good,” Bennett said.
“Everybody is conforming
and doing what they need to
do, and we’re fine and life
is still carrying on the way
it needs to with what restric-
tions we’ve got.”
S175345-1
139101
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
541-523-6377
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
541-576-2160
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