Following a request from the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC), the State Revenue Service (VID) will be able to share data regarding the employment of individuals infected with contagious diseases that pose a serious public health threat, as outlined in the Ministry of Health’s (VM) draft Epidemiological Safety Law.
The draft law was prepared by VM to build upon the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure preparedness for future public health threats. It also includes technical clarifications related to changes in other regulatory acts.
Once information about an infected individual is received, SPKC will be able to cross-check the person’s personal code with the information held by VID. This will allow the identification of specific occupational groups, such as educators, healthcare workers, and others who may be at higher risk of contracting infectious diseases.
Currently, SPKC does not have access to employment data held by VID. The proposed data exchange will enable a more in-depth analysis of the epidemiological situation and help pinpoint the locations and types of infections to implement appropriate protective measures.
Under the existing Law on Taxes and Duties, VID can share information about taxpayers with other state institutions if such data exchange is stipulated by other industry-specific regulatory acts.
The draft law also aims to improve SPKC’s work in the area of epidemiological safety by enabling the analysis of infectious diseases that lead to epidemics,
such as pandemic flu or measles, including their impact on employment and the economy.
The experience from the COVID-19 pandemic also showed that local police had a critical role in enforcing epidemiological restrictions and maintaining public order, similar to the role of the National Police (VP). However, local police required additional funding from municipalities for their work, creating inequality compared to the National Police, which received funding directly from the state budget. This disparity manifested in different compensation levels, according to the Ministry of Health.
The draft law proposes that local police be funded from the state budget for additional tasks related to infection control measures and the enforcement of mandatory self-isolation and quarantine. This would ensure that local police resources are maximally engaged in supporting public health measures, making the response to health threats more effective.
Additionally, the law would authorize the Cabinet of Ministers to designate specific tasks for municipalities in the event of an epidemiological threat. This would allow for a swift and effective response to public health risks by clearly defining municipal involvement in infection control.
Potential functions for municipalities could include organizing logistics, such as establishing testing points and ensuring their availability in their territories. Municipalities could also assign personnel to call and inform residents about epidemiological measures and plan actions according to the epidemiological situation, including organizing work in institutions at risk of infection.
In emergency situations, the Cabinet of Ministers would be able to impose special epidemiological safety measures, regulations, and requirements for individuals and service providers to prevent public health threats.
The Ministry of Health has submitted the draft law for public consultation, which will be open until the 18th of March.