Health department responds to regulator’s demand over citizens’ Covid-19 data

The National Health Department said it has taken note of the Information Regulator’s decision to refer the department to its enforcement committee over its failure to report on how it has dealt with Covid-19 data it collected for contact tracing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Referral to the enforcement committee can culminate in an enforcement notice which has the same effect as a court order

The Information Regulator on Monday said the department should have either destroyed or anonymised the data it collected under the national state of disaster declared in response to Covid-19.

Demand for information

Spokesperson Nomzamo Zondi told The Citizen since May 2022, the regulator had been demanding a report from the Health Department indicating how it is complying with the lawful processing of personal information collected during the Covid-19 response.

Zondi said after the national state of disaster was declared in April 2020, it issued a Guidance Note on the processing of personal information in the management and containment of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“What they have not done is to respond to us as the Information Regulator which is a contravention of POPIA, which is why we are now handing them over the Enforcement Committee for further investigation.”

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Health department response

Health Department spokesperson Foster Mohale told The Citizen they will respond to the Information Regulators referral.

“The Department of Health has noted and will respond to all issues raised by the Information Regulator with regards to the collection and protection of personal information gathered during Covid-19 contact tracing.”

“The department recognises the role of the Regular to protect data subjects from harm and ensure that their personal information is protected by responsible parties,” Mohale said.

Covid booster

Meanwhile, the department said South Africans could now receive additional Covid-19 vaccine boosters.

It said people aged 50 years and older were now eligible to receive a fifth Covid-19 booster dose.

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