SACRAMENTO – Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed an executive order to speed up the process for returning COVID-19 test results to patients.
The order specifically suspends a health and safety code that requires a health care professional to review results before disclosing them to a patient via the internet or other digital means.
The disclosure of test results, however, must be done in accordance with an order of the state public health officer or a local public health officer, and with forthcoming guidance from the California Department of Public Health, according to Newsom’s order.
The order addresses several other issues related to the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing need for social distancing. The California State University system, for example, will not have to hold public hearings before making changes to admissions criteria for fall 2021 freshmen applicants.
In addition, the order responds to a shortage of fingerprinting services and allows the California Department of Justice to develop procedures to perform name-based background checks to ensure there is no delay in processing employment for critical sectors.
Federal stimulus checks will also flow directly to custodial parents owed back child support payments rather than the state, and food truck operators will be able to temporarily operate in roadside rest areas to ensure critical infrastructure workers have access to food.
The full text of the order is available here.
