COVID - 19 - Obligation of physicians and health authorities to report COVID - 19 cases

Obligation of physicians and health authorities to report Covid-19 cases

Resolution 680/2020

As from March 31, 2020, the Ministry of Health incorporated the COVID-19 disease into the legal regime of infectious diseases, which requires health professionals to immediately notify COVID-19 cases, since the suspected presence of the disease to the monitoring of its evolution, in order to improve prevention, assistance and mitigation measures against its expansion.

The obligation applies to (a) doctors assisting patients; (b) laboratory professionals who study samples of suspected, probable, confirmed, and discarded cases; (c) laboratory and health facility authorities, whether public or private; and (d) provincial and municipal health authorities.

The obligation is of a joint and several nature, and thus applies to all subjects included in the provision. Authorities of laboratories and health establishments (inc. c) and provincial and municipal health authorities (inc. d) must ensure that doctors and laboratory professionals in their areas submit notifications in a timely manner.

Notifications must be made within 12 hours via the National Health Surveillance System (SNVS) computer platform. Obligated subjects shall have five days to submit, complete, update or adjust COVID-19 notifications related to cases of a date preceding that of the entering into force of the Resolution that have not been informed to the SNVS.