Should GPs be reporting patients they suspect are breaching isolation rules?
Legal quandaries facing doctors are likely to increase in coming weeks
Doctors are allowed, but not compelled, to breach privacy laws to report patients who are breaking COVID-19 quarantine rules and putting others at risk, according to Avant, a leading MDO.
Since the pandemic began, all state and territory governments have updated their public health laws so officials can legally force people to self-isolate to protect others from COVID-19.
Sanctions include six months’ imprisonment and up to $50,000 in fines, depending on the state.
The moves come amid reports from pharmacists that patients were flaunting quarantine rules to pick up scripts while waiting for COVID-19 test results.
