Family Ignores Quarantine Directive, Put Public at Greater Risk in St. Louis

It is crucial for the health of yourself and those in your community to adhere to the quarantine standards set forth by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control, and/or your local state or city. If you are aware of somebody who has tested positive or is showing symptoms related to the Coronavirus, encourage them to stay home, or in a designated location for treatment and quarantine. Presently, this has been a concern for communities around the United States. Such acts may not only increase the risk of community spread, but also may expose the infected citizen to criminal charges. A recent public case of a St. Louis man breaking his quarantine directions has been widespread. After his daughter had returned from a study abroad program in Italy where she was exposed to the virus tested positive and was placed into self-quarantine along with the rest of her family. Soon after the family’s self-quarantine began, her father did not adhere to the health officials’ instructions and attended a local school dance. Because of the St. Louis father’s actions, the school district was forced to take immediate precautions. The district closed the school and sent a letter to all families in attendance that they had been exposed to the virus. The attorney for the family, Neil Bruntrager, rebutted the county’s version of events on Monday as he informed the local news stations that in phone calls and text messages before the symptomatic daughter received a diagnosis, officials did not instruct the family to self-quarantine. When county health officials informed the family Friday that they were arranging for a coronavirus test, the family’s doctor said to the family that “my gut says you don’t have (coronavirus),” Bruntrager told television station KMOV4. In addition to the societal impact and increased risk of community spread, one who violates a quarantine order may be exposed to criminal prosecution. A state or federal government may impose penalties for those who violate an order to quarantine. Although in this specific case, the St. Louis resident was not under a formal order to quarantine, it is still important to understand criminal repercussions. For example, in Missouri where this defiance occurred, the statute asserts violating a quarantine order is Class A Misdemeanor punishable to up to a year in jail and/or a $2,000.00 fine. Many other states have sentences for violating a quarantine order and putting those in the community at risk. State officials, local officials or both in each state also have the power to issue quarantine orders, which are legally compulsory and carry a variety of consequences if violated. Some agencies need a judge to sign off on a quarantine order for it to last beyond a short period of time. Other agencies require the subject of the order to challenge it if they think it’s unwarranted. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has broad authority to quarantine people “reasonably believed” to have been exposed to communicable diseases. A person who wants to challenge a CDC quarantine has to request an internal review or take the case to court. **As of March 9, 2020, there are nearly 114,000 confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide, including 738 in the U.S.**