Title
Adopt an urgency ordinance enacting a requirement that all laboratories within Monterey County report information regarding COVID-19 testing to the County Health Officer.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors adopt an urgency ordinance enacting a requirement that all laboratories within Monterey County report information regarding COVID-19 testing to the County Health Officer.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
An urgency ordinance was presented for Board consideration on April 7, 2020, that required all health care providers and private commercial laboratories in Monterey County to report information regarding tests for COVID-19 to the County Health Officer and Health Department. The matter was continued to allow further discussions with the Health Officer regarding the language of and need for the ordinance. The County Health Officer believes that a Health Officer Order, similar to that issued by the County of Santa Clara, is sufficient because of the legal authority of the County Health Officer to issue the Order, the police power of the Health Officer to enforce the Order, and the ability of the Health Officer to quickly amend the Order in response to rapidly changing conditions presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Title 17 sections 2500 and 2505 of the California Code of Regulations, and the California Department of Public Health already require health care providers to report confirmed and suspect COVID-19 cases, including address, date of birth, gender, pregnancy status, occupation, specimen collection, race and ethnicity to the Health Officer, and already require laboratories to report positive, negative and inconclusive test results, testing data and patient demographic information to the Health Officer. The Health Officer has issued such an order. In response to Referral 2020-13 an ordinance has been prepared and revised to be more consistent with the Santa Clara Health Officer Order.
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