Dem cautions White House against using surveillance to fight virus

Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) pressed the White House on Wednesday on reports that it is in talks to create a national coronavirus surveillance system.

“The Trump administration has not given me or the American people any confidence that it is capable of creating or maintaining a massive health data network in a manner that doesn’t undermine our fundamental right to privacy,” the Massachusetts Democrat said in a statement.

Politico reported Tuesday night that White House senior adviser Jared Kushner has reached out to several health technology companies about creating a system to give the government real-time data on where patients are seeking treatment and for what, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

The national system would be used to determine what regions should relax or tighten social distancing guidelines. It would also represent an unprecedented government intervention into the handling of patient health data.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill on the reported surveillance system or Markey’s statement.

“As a nation, we are facing an historic public health emergency that is devastating individuals, families, and communities across this country,” Markey said Wednesday.