Utah Admin. Code 386-702-11

Current through Bulletin 2024-08, April 15, 2024

Section R386-702-11 - [Effective 6/11/2024] General Measures for the Control of Communicable Diseases

(1) The local health department shall maintain reportable disease records as needed to enforce Chapter 6 of the Health Code and this rule, or as requested by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

(2) General control measures for reportable diseases are as follows:

(a) The local health department shall, when an unusual or rare disease occurs in any part of the state or when any disease becomes so prevalent as to endanger the state as a whole, contact the Office of Communicable Diseases, Utah Department of Health and Human Services for assistance, and shall cooperate with the representatives of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.

(b) The local health department shall investigate and control the causes of epidemic, infectious, communicable, and other disease affecting the public health. The local health department shall also provide for the detection, reporting, prevention, and control of communicable, infectious, and acute diseases that are dangerous or important or that may affect the public health. The local health department may require physical examination and measures to be performed as necessary to protect the health of others.

(c) If, in the opinion of the local health officer it is necessary or advisable to protect the public's health that any person shall be kept from contact with the public, the local health officer shall establish, maintain, and enforce involuntary treatment, isolation, and quarantine as provided by Section 26-6-4. Control measures shall be specific to the known or suspected disease agent. Guidance is available from the Office of Communicable Diseases, Utah Department of Health and Human Services, or official reference listed in Section R386-702-18.

(d) The local health department shall take action and measures as may be necessary within Section 26-6-4, Title 26, Chapter 6b Communicable Diseases - Treatment, Isolation, and Quarantine Procedures, and this rule, to prevent the spread of any communicable disease, infectious agent, or any other condition that pose a public health hazard. Action shall be initiated upon discovery of a case or upon receipt of notification or report of any disease.

(e) A case; suspected case; carrier; contact; other person; or entity, including a facility, hotel, or other organization, shall, upon request of a public health authority, promptly cooperate during:

(i) an investigation of the circumstances or cause of a case, suspected case, outbreak, or suspected outbreak.

(ii) the carrying out of measures for prevention, suppression, and control of a public health hazard, including procedures of restriction, isolation, and quarantine.

(5) Control measures for public food handlers and places where food or drink products are handled or processed are as follows:

A person known to be infected with a communicable disease that can be transmitted by food or drink products, or who is suspected of being infected with such a disease, may not engage in the commercial handling of food or drink products, or be employed on any premises handling those types of products, unless those products are packaged off-site and remain in a closed container until purchased for consumption, until the person is determined by the local health department to be free of communicable disease, or incapable of transmitting the infection.

If a case, carrier, or suspected case of a disease that can be conveyed by food or drink products is found at any place where food or drink products are handled or offered for sale, or if a disease is found or suspected to have been transmitted by these food or drink products, the local health department may immediately prohibit the sale, or removal of drink and other food products from the premises. Sale or distribution of food or drink products from the premises may be resumed when measures have been taken to eliminate the threat to health from the product and its processing as prescribed by Rule R392-100.

If a local health department finds it is not able to completely comply with this rule, the local health officer or their representative shall request the assistance of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. In such circumstances, the local health department shall provide required information to the Office of Communicable Diseases. If the local health officer fails to comply with this rule, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services shall take action necessary to enforce this rule.

Laboratory analyses that are necessary to identify the causative agents of reportable diseases or to determine adequacy of treatment of patients with a disease shall be ordered by the physician or other health care provider to be performed in or referred to a laboratory holding a valid certificate under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988.

Utah Admin. Code R386-702-11

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2015-1, effective 12/15/2014

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2016-5, effective 2/11/2016

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2017-4, effective 1/27/2017

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2018-2, effective 1/2/2018

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2019-22, effective 11/1/2019

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2020-18, effective 9/8/2020

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2023-07, effective 3/14/2023

Amended by Utah State Bulletin Number 2024-05, effective 2/12/2024, exp. 6/11/2024 (Emergency)