Purposes

The purposes of this Chapter are:

(a)to require the development of a comprehensive plan to provide for a coordinated, appropriate response in the event of a public health emergency;

(b)to authorize the reporting and collection of data and records, the management of property, the protection of persons, and access to communications;

(c)to facilitate the early detection of a health emergency, and allow for immediate investigation of such an emergency COL9/7/2021 CH. 19 EMERGENCY HEALTH POWERS by granting access to individuals= health information under specified circumstances;

(d)to grant the government of Guam and local officials the authority to use and appropriate property as necessary for the care, treatment, vaccination and housing of patients, and to destroy contaminated facilities or materials;

(e)to grant the government of Guam and local officials the authority to provide care, treatment and vaccination to persons who are ill, or who have been exposed to contagious diseases, and to separate affected individuals from the population at large to interrupt disease transmission;

(f)to ensure that the needs of infected or exposed persons are properly addressed to the fullest extent possible, given the primary goal of controlling serious health threats, and

(g)to provide the government of Guam and local officials with the ability to prevent, detect, manage and contain emergency health threats without unduly interfering with civil rights and liberties.