Individual Restrictions, Quarantine, and Public Health Realities

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Individual Restrictions, Quarantine, and Public
Health Realities

• Edward P. Richards, JD MPHProgram in Law,
  Science and Public HealthLSU School of Law
  http//biotech.law.lsu.edu

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Definitions

• Quarantine
• Isolation
• Personal Restrictions
• Pandemic

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Example Diseases and Restrictions

• Tuberculosis
• Smallpox
• Yearly flu
• Typhoid
• Hanson's Disease (leprosy)
• Ringworm
• SARS
• Theoretical pan flu

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Resources

• Where do you put them?
• Why jail is always the wrong choice
• Do you have appropriate facilities?
• Should you move them to appropriate facilities?

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Treatment and Testing

• Can you treat them against their will?
• What does this mean in practical terms?
• Can you coerce them into treatment?
• Treatment as a key to release?
• What about DOT and enforcing it?

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Dealing With the Civil Libertarians

• Do not screw up the medical side and the place of
  confinement
• This is the root of most problems, which then
  cost the state authority
• Educate the public about the risk posed by
  disease carriers
• Do not sugar coat it
• Political correctness has hurt public health
  authority
• Look at national security law

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Stay at Home Orders

• When would these be appropriate?
• How do you provide medical care?
• How do you provide food?
• How do you support salary?
• What about criminals, crazies, homeless, and
  illegals?
• What is the role of a resilient communities
  approach?

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How Far Do You Go to Enforce Orders?

• What is the purpose of the restriction?
• Does it have to be 100
• Is 100 even possible?
• If 100 is not realistic, can you justify
  shooting someone?
• Can you justify it a year later at your trial,
  when the public health department is seen as
  having failed in the epidemic?

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QA