H1N1 Quarantine Bill Raises Red Flags

The Massachusetts State Senate recently passed a bill that would allow the government to quarantine people in the event of a governor-issued pandemic.

Tuesday, September 22nd 2009, 4:25 pm

By: News 9


By Dave Jordan, NEWS 9

BOSTON -- The Massachusetts State Senate recently passed a bill that would allow the government to quarantine people in the event of a governor-issued pandemic.

Under that emergency act, investigators could enter private property where the perceived health threat is located, force the owner to close the premises and in some cases quarantine the property owner and the building.

Scott Sproat, with the Health Department's Emergency Preparedness unit, said some of those measures within that Massachusetts bill are already in place here in Oklahoma. However, Sproat said the procedures must be done with careful judicial oversight.

"Those orders are issued by the health department. Individuals are typically asked to comply with those," Sprout said. "We don't have the ability to issue isolation orders on individuals who don't comply without taking that through the legal system."

The Massachusetts bill has raised red flags for civil liberties activists in Oklahoma.

"I think it's always important when we're facing issues like this to make absolutely sure that we don't overreact and pass legislation that may allow abuses that we can't even envision at this point," ACLU Deputy Director Chuck Thornton said.

The Massachusetts house is slated to vote on Senate Bill 2028 later this fall. Thornton said he's going to keep a close eye on our legislative session for any similar bills he believes would compromise personal freedom for public health.

The Oklahoma State Health Department said it's has no plans to quarantine anyone with H1N1 or force anyone to take the vaccine.

Should the government force people to get the H1N1 vaccination? Vote in the poll below.

logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

September 22nd, 2009

March 22nd, 2024

March 14th, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024