Thread by @NC5PhilWilliams, For those breathlessly tweeting at me about another reporter's "bombshell" and the [...]

For those breathlessly tweeting at me about another reporter's "bombshell" and the "disturbing" COVID-19 emails from Mayor Cooper, the emails do NOT say what the reporter implied. There is nothing about "how to keep it from the public." 1/

Take, for example, the reporter's gasping at this exchange: “This isn’t going to be publicly released, right? Just info for Mayor’s Office?"
“Correct, not for public consumption.”
Under HIPAA, info that might identify individuals must be vetted carefully b/f release to public 2/

Mayor Cooper and his team did such a great job of hiding this from the public and from @tnnaterau and the @TNLookout, right? 3/ https://tennesseelookout.com/2020/08/04/nashville-restaurants-and-bars-account-for-few-confirmed-covid-19-cases/

Nashville restaurants and bars account for few confirmed COVID-19 cases – Tennessee Lookout

Metro Nashville has placed great emphasis on controlling the spread of COVID-19 in bars and restaruants, but just over 80 cases have been traced to them.

https://tennesseelookout.com/2020/08/04/nashville-restaurants-and-bars-account-for-few-confirmed-covid-19-cases/

Nate clearly explains why it's difficult to nail down an exact number 4/

By the way, if this is such reliable information, why did the reporter say that Nate works for The Tennessean?
He doesn't. 5/

Since this other reporter found such a big story in Nate's email's, Nate's reaction is worth considering. 6/ https://twitter.com/tnnaterau/status/1306425615491497984?s=20