PHOENIX — On Monday, Arizona Governor Doug issued an Executive Order that begins the implementation an Enhanced Surveillance Advisory that will accelerate tracking of COVID-19 cases. The advisory requires hospitals and testing laboratories.
The advisory requires hospitals in Arizona to report daily statistics on staff resources, ventilator availability, intensive care unit (ICU) bed availability, inpatient bed availability, personal protective equipment (PPE) supply levels, medical supply levels as well as describe their current triage process.
The advisory also requires laboratories to report the results of all COVID-19 tests or a weekly aggregate number of total COVID-19 tests performed. In addition, it directs enhanced patient tracking, information sharing and coordination of specimen testing. The order follows Governor Ducey’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency on March 11.
The Arizona Department of Health Services and local health authorities will be empowered to access confidential patient information, including medical records, to identify, diagnose, treat and track persons who may have been exposed. To protect the privacy of patients, any identifying information received from the advisory is confidential.
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