The Duty to Report Communicable Diseases Ordinance
Did you know this was signed into law in South Salt Lake in June 2020?
Instead of repealing this archaic law, it was slightly altered and five of our seven city councilors quietly passed this ordinance with cursory discussion of its ramifications, and no public opinion. Our current mayor approved it.
It mandates a report to the city of any case of contagious illness of "imminent public threat" (undefined), by anyone who has knowledge it exists.
That's you, your doctor, your nurse, your children's school teacher, your neighbor, your family member...
It includes diseases that you may be handling long-term, but consider your own business.
This undoes any protection of our health privacy gained by our federal HIPAA law, and is required of any individual living or working in the City of South Salt Lake.
The penalty for breaking this ordinance is a $1,000 fine, or 6 months in jail.
This is an attack on our
privacy and freedoms
or shoddy lawmaking, at the very least.
The City is giving itself authority equal to (or greater than!) that of the Health Department.
Although the intention of this ordinance may have been as an emergency measure for COVID-19 control, that is NOT WHAT IT SAYS!