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I got curious about the US laws related to involuntary quarantine, last night. The federal government can only quarantine you as you enter the country or cross
by AlexCoventry 7y ago
I got curious about the US laws related to involuntary quarantine, last night. The federal government can only quarantine you as you enter the country or cross state lines. In Massachusetts, the state can quarantine you to a hospital or your home, and the compensation for lost wages is not to exceed $2 a day! It's a good time to be working remotely.
- mc32 7y agoDon’t hospitals have the power to quarantine patients as well? So you go to hospital to get checked, one potentially end up being quarantined, depending on their assessment.
- AlexCoventry 7y agoAs I read the law, I think someone needs to be explicitly commissioned for those powers, on a disease-by-disease basis. I'm just going on my memory from reading for a different question, though. The relevant law is here: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVI/Chapter111/Section94G https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVI/Ch... https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVI/Chapter111/Section95 https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVI/Ch...
- SilasX 7y agolol that's ridiculous. I guess they never update this stuff for inflation? Australia has the right idea with "penalty units" so they can specify a monetary fine in a way that automatically keeps up with inflation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penalty_unit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penalty_unit
- Analemma_ 7y agoThose might be the powers that are specifically spelled out in statutes, but most states and the federal government grant medical authorities broad powers to do whatever they feel is necessary in the event of an emergency.