Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press A paramedic transports an elderly man to the emergency department at a hospital in Toronto.

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A civil liberties organization is raising the alarm after the province of Ontario began sharing COVID-19 test results with police and other organizations.

On April 6, Ontario officials announced that first responders in the province, including police, firefighters, and paramedics, would have access to a database that includes names, addresses, dates of birth, and whether a person had tested positive for COVID-19. The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is calling it "an extraordinary invasion of privacy." In a letter sent to Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, which was cosigned by other advocacy organizations, the CCLA said it was concerned about the legality of the measures. "We have not found sufficient explanation of how providing this information to first responders, and police in particular, is useful, much less necessary, in responding to the present emergency," the letter said.

Providing personal health information directly to law enforcement is an extraordinary invasion of privacy. Such a measure should only be taken when clearly authorized by law and absolutely necessary given the particular circumstances. Twitter