The Office for Civil Rights at the US Dept. of Health has issued new guidance on when COVID-19 exposures and infections can be disclosed to first responders. The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits a covered entity to disclose the protected health information (PHI) of an individual who has been infected with, or exposed to, COVID-19, with law enforcement, paramedics, other first responders, and public health authorities without the individual’s HIPAA authorization, in certain circumstances. The guidance can be found at https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/covid-19-hipaa-and-first-responders-508.pdf.
