Our building/property manage has decided that he will have everyone entering the complex sign a declaration of travel and any contact with anyone who has had contact with COVID-19. I wouldn’t have thought privacy laws would allow a committee to do this – and am interested in your opinion. – Lynette, NSW

Q: My question is in relation to a holiday unit that I own in Queensland even thought I live in NSW.

I am a committee member and our building/property manage has decided that he will have everyone entering the complex sign a declaration of travel and any contact with anyone who has had contact with COVID-19. I wouldn’t have thought privacy laws would allow a committee to do this – and am interested in your opinion.

A: Health information is deemed personal and sensitive information as per the Australian Privacy Principle – your confidentially and privacy should be respected.

Also, it worthy to note that nothing should be published identifying the person with the virus, including which floor level they reside on. The Privacy Act requires that you do not disclose personal information received unless such disclosure is within the primary purpose of having collected that information. The committee or manager should therefore ensure they obtain any consent to share information in writing, and it should specifically state the personal information they consent to being disclosed.

If you’re interested in more information, we’re created a COVID-19 community living toolkit which may be a helpful resource to you and your committee: https://picagroup.com.au/covid-19-toolkit/