Texas Gov. Abbott Signs Bill That Would Make Details About Diseases in Nursing Communities Public Information
Author: internet - Published 2021-05-24 07:00:00 PM - (319 Reads)KVUE reports that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed into law legislation that would require nursing and other long-term care communities to disclose details about the spread of communicable diseases. The bill, authored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D), deems certain details about the spread of such diseases in the communities as not classified as "protected health information" that can be shared with the public. The law will be in effect starting Sept. 1, and its signing comes after an intense 2020 campaign by the KVUE Defenders, who urged officials to release information about the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care communities. According to the latest data from Texas Health and Human Services, 70,058 residents in Texas nursing communities have tested positive for COVID-19 as of May 10, as have 10,030 assisted living community residents.