Infectious Diseases Act 1976 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 7 · Enforcement
57B. Disclosure of information to prevent spread or possible outbreak of infectious disease, etc., as authorised by Director-General of Health
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2024. 3 amendments in all.
The Director-General of Health may, by written notice, authorise a healthcare provider to disclose to a specified recipient information, which identifies any person —
Director-General
“Director-General” means the Director‑General of Public Health appointed under section 3(1) of the Environmental Public Health Act 1987;
as a case or an at-risk individual of an infectious disease (called in this section the affected person); or
as being suspected to be an affected person,to enable the specified recipient to take the necessary measures to prevent the spread or possible outbreak of the infectious disease.
The Director-General of Health may, in authorising the disclosure of any information under subsection (1) by a healthcare provider, impose any conditions on the healthcare provider or the specified recipient of that information, and the healthcare provider or specified recipient (as the case may be) must comply with the conditions.
A specified recipient of information provided under subsection (1) may disclose that information to another person providing a prescribed healthcare service to an affected person on behalf of the specified recipient, or use that information, only to the extent necessary to take the necessary measures to prevent the spread or possible outbreak of that infectious disease, but not otherwise.
infectious disease
“infectious disease” means —(a)any of the diseases specified in the First Schedule; and(b)for the purposes of sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 17A, 19, 55, 57A and 59A, includes any other disease —(i)that is caused or is suspected to be caused by a micro‑organism or any agent of disease;(ii)that is capable or is suspected to be capable of transmission by any means to human beings; and(iii)that, the Director has reason to believe, if left uninvestigated or unchecked, is likely to result in an epidemic of the disease;
Any person who, without reasonable excuse —
fails to comply with any condition imposed under subsection (2); or
contravenes subsection (3),shall be guilty of an offence.
This section does not affect any other right of disclosure under any written law or rule of law.
In this section —
“healthcare provider” means any person that provides a prescribed healthcare service;
“prescribed healthcare service” means any healthcare service prescribed for the purposes of this section;
“specified recipient” means any person that provides a prescribed healthcare service to an affected person.