Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 52, December 24, 2024
(a)
Except where other procedures are specifically provided in law and consistent
with any direction that the State Commissioner of Health may issue, every local
health authority, either personally or through a qualified representative,
shall, with all due speed upon receiving a report of a case, suspected case,
outbreak, or unusual disease and as the circumstances may require, investigate
the circumstances of such report at any and all public and private places in
which the local health authority has reason to believe, based on
epidemiological or other relevant information available, that such places are
associated with such disease. Except as consistent with any direction that the
State Commissioner of Health may issue, such investigations and response
activities shall:
(1) Verify the existence of
a disease or condition;
(2)
Ascertain the source of the disease-causing agent or condition;
(3) Identify unreported cases;
(4) Locate and evaluate contacts of cases and
suspected cases, as well as those reasonably expected to have been exposed to
the disease;
(5) Collect and submit,
or cause to be collected or submitted, for laboratory examination such
specimens as may furnish necessary or appropriate information for determining
the source of disease, or to assist with diagnosis; and furnish or cause to be
furnished with such specimens pertinent data on forms prescribed by the State
Commissioner of Health, including but not limited to the history of cases,
physical findings and details of the epidemiological investigation;
(6) With the training or assistance of the
State Department of Health as necessary, examine the processes, structures,
conditions, machines, apparatus, devices, equipment, records, and material
within such places that may be relevant to the investigation of disease or
condition;
(7) Instruct a
responsible member of a household or entity, as applicable, to implement
appropriate actions to prevent further spread of a disease; and
(8) Take any other steps to reduce morbidity
and mortality that the local health authority determines to be
appropriate.
(b) When a
case or suspected case of a disease, condition, outbreak, or unusual disease
occurs in any business, organization, institution, or private home, the person
in charge of the business, organization, institution or the home owner, as well
as any individuals or entities required to report pursuant to sections
2.10 and
2.12 of this Part, shall cooperate
with the State Department of Health and local health authorities in the
investigation of such disease, condition, outbreak, or unusual
disease.
(c) Investigation Updates
and Reports.
(1) Upon request of the State
Department of Health, the local health authority shall submit updates and
reports on outbreak investigations to the State Department of Health. The
content, timeframe, and manner of submission of such updates shall be
determined by the State Department of Health in consultation with the local
health authority.
(2) The local
health authority shall complete investigation reports of outbreaks within 30
days of the conclusion of the investigation in a manner prescribed by the State
Commissioner of Health, unless the State Commissioner of Health prescribes a
different time period.
(d) Commissioner authority to lead
investigation and response activities.
(1)
The State Commissioner of Health may elect to lead investigation and response
activities where:
(i) Residents of multiple
jurisdictions within the State are affected by an outbreak of a reportable
disease, condition, or unusual disease; or
(ii) Residents in a jurisdiction or
jurisdictions within the State and in another state or states are affected by
an outbreak of a reportable disease, condition, or unusual disease;
or
(iii) An outbreak of an unusual
disease or a reportable disease or condition involves a single jurisdiction
with the high potential for statewide impact.
(2) Where the State Commissioner of Health
elects to lead investigation and response activities pursuant to paragraph (1)
of this subdivision, local health authorities shall take all reasonable steps
to assist in such investigation and response, including supply of personnel,
equipment or information. Provided further that the local health authority
shall take any such action as the State Commissioner of Health deems
appropriate and that is within the jurisdiction of the local health authority.
Any continued investigation or response by the local health authority shall be
solely pursuant to the direction of the State Commissioner of Health, and the
State Commissioner of Health shall have access to any investigative materials
which were heretofore created by the local health
authority.
