1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i COVID-19: Digital Contact Tracing and Privacy Law July 9, 2020 Many states, territories, and localities have implemented public health orders to limit the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in
2、their respective communities, including stay-at-home orders, orders temporarily closing schools and businesses, and orders limiting the size of public gatherings. In preparation for the eventual relaxation and lifting of these orders, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advocat
3、ed that public health authorities use robust “contact tracing” procedures to prevent the reoccurrence of widespread infections after communities reopen. While federal entities may advise on these procedures, state and local authorities are responsible for contact tracing operations, as provided by s
4、tate law. The term “contact tracing” generally refers to identifying and monitoring people who have been in contact with someone diagnosed with an infectious disease, in order to locate other potentially infected individuals quickly and take targeted control measures (such as quarantines) to prevent