Public health officials in three Kansas counties say a new state law is hurting their efforts to trace the contacts of people infected with COVID-19 by making it easier for them to refuse to cooperate.
Public health departments often rely on employers to find out who has been in close contact with those infected, but the coronavirus law that was approved in June says "third parties," such as employers and event hosts, must get consent from those who tested positive for COVID-19 and close contacts in order to share their information to public health agencies.