VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood blasted the Florida Department of Health on Facebook Monday night after the agency said it would no longer provide specific addresses of nursing homes or assisted living facilities with coronavirus cases.
“Why is it that the department of health, which should be our most reliable source of answers during this crisis, is constantly playing hide and seek with information?” Chitwood wrote in a Facebook post. “We’re supposed to be fighting this virus, not fighting to get access to information.”
Chitwood said he took to Facebook after the FDOH revealed in a conference call Monday evening that it would no longer provide such information which Chitwood said could endanger first responders.
“Last night the person that was on the call was informed by the department of health that they would no longer provide us the name of the assisted living facility or the address,” Chitwood said. "The person on that call-in specifically asked a question, ‘so you mean to tell me we’re not going to be getting the addresses at all?’ And the person on the conference call said, ‘no you will not.’ "
Chitwood said his first responders need to know when they’re called to help at a facility with COVID-19 patients, calling it a matter of safety.
“So that any fire, police or EMS that is dispatched, we can let them know ahead of time, we’re going to a house that is under quarantine or has confirmed COVID-19 and you need to protect yourself accordingly,” Chitwood said. “We know who has it, who’s under quarantine and where they live. Why would we not give our first responders that information before they get to the address?”
Chitwood said Tuesday morning, in an email to him, FDOH reversed course.
"Today they're saying there was some kind of miscommunication and you will get those addresses tonight," Chitwood said.
The FDOH did not respond to repeated requests from News 6 for comment on the situation. News 6 also requested a list of all facilities with COVID-19 patients from the Agency for Healthcare Administration.
Chitwood does not believe it was a miscommunication at all.
“I believe what happened was when we posted our post last night [on Facebook], we tagged the governor and said hey this is B-S. The governor needs to step in here, we’re trying to protect first responders and protect the community.”
Chitwood posted on Facebook that the FDOH’s decision Monday night “endangers not only first responders but health care workers, patients and their loved ones.”
“Remember how the COVID-19 cases spread in Washington state,” Chitwood wrote. “With all the time we’ve had since then, what’s the point of hiding the truth now? I think the governor needs to step in.”
Chitwood said he understands the FDOH may have been trying to protect the privacy of the patients at the facilities but insists he is as well. He said he does not publicize the addresses of the facilities and only shares them with his first responders.