2023 Utah Code › Title 26B - Utah Health and Human Services Code › Chapter 7 - Public Health and Prevention › Part 3 - Treatment, Isolation, and Quarantine Procedures for Communicable Diseases › Section 321 - Investigation of suspected bioterrorism and diseases -- Termination of orders of constraint.

Effective 5/3/2023
26B-7-321.
Investigation of suspected bioterrorism and diseases -- Termination of orders of constraint.
(1) Subject to Subsection (6), the department shall:
(a) ascertain the existence of cases of an illness or condition caused by the factors described in Subsections 26B-7-316(1) and 26B-7-317(1);
(b) investigate all such cases for sources of infection or exposure;
(c) ensure that any cases, suspected cases, and exposed persons are subject to proper control measures; and
(d) define the distribution of the suspected illness or health condition.
(2)
(a) Acting on information received from the reports required by Sections 26B-7-316 through 26B-7-320, or other reliable information, the department shall identify all individuals thought to have been exposed to an illness or condition described in Subsection 26B-7-316(1).
(b) The department may request information from a health care provider concerning an individual's identifying information as described in Subsection 26B-7-316(2)(b) when:
(i) the department is investigating a potential illness or condition described in Subsection 26B-7-316(1) and the health care provider has not submitted a report to the department with the information requested; or
(ii) the department has received a report from a pharmacist under Section 26B-7-318, a medical laboratory under Section 26B-7-319, or another health care provider under Subsection 26B-7-317(1) and the department believes that further investigation is necessary to protect the public health.
(c) A health care provider shall submit the information requested under this section to the department within 24 hours after receiving a request from the department.
(3) The department shall counsel and interview identified individuals as appropriate to:
(a) assist in the positive identification of other cases and exposed individuals;
(b) develop information relating to the source and spread of the illness or condition; and
(c) obtain the names, addresses, phone numbers, or other identifying information of any other person from whom the illness or health condition may have been contracted and to whom the illness or condition may have spread.
(4) The department shall, for examination purposes, close, evacuate, or decontaminate any facility when the department reasonably believes that such facility or material may endanger the public health due to a condition or illness described in Subsection 26B-7-316(1).
(5) The department shall destroy personally identifying health information about an individual collected by the department as a result of a report under Sections 26B-7-316 through 26B-7-322 upon the earlier of:
(a) the department's determination that the information is no longer necessary to carry out an investigation under Sections 26B-7-316 through 26B-7-324; or
(b) 180 days after the information is collected.
(6)
(a) The Legislature may at any time terminate by joint resolution an order of constraint issued by the department in response to a declared public health emergency.
(b) A county governing body may at any time terminate by majority vote an order of constraint issued by the relevant local health department in response to a declared public health emergency.
Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 308, 2023 General Session