Siskiyou County Emergency Preparedness Guide - Public Health Emergencies

Stay-at-Home orders, like Shelter-in-Place may be issued during a Public Health Emergency. Monitor information from approved sources and follow the instructions of the appointed officials.

By adhering to the directives, citizens can do their part to advance the safety and security of friends and loved ones.

During an emergency, that directly affects the healthcare of the community, the Health Officer holds legal authority to declare a public health emergency and to issue isolation and quarantine orders.

Public health quarantine and isolation are legal authorities that may be, but rarely are, implemented to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. Persons who are ill may be isolated to protect the public by preventing exposure to infected people. Quarantine may be used to restrict the movement of well people who may have been exposed to a communicable disease until it can be determined if they are ill. This could include people who have a communicable disease but do not know it or those who may have the disease because of close contact with ill people but do not show symptoms.

Quarantine and isolation are defined as:

• Quarantine: Compulsory separation, including restriction of movement, of people who potentially have been exposed to a contagious disease, until it can be determined whether they have become sick or no longer pose a risk to others.
• Isolation: Separation of people known or suspected (via signs, symptoms or laboratory criteria) to be infected with a contagious disease from those who are not sick to prevent them from transmitting the disease to others.

The use of quarantine or isolation powers may create sensitive issues related to civil liberties. Individuals have rights to due process of law, and generally, isolation or quarantine must be carried out in the least restrictive setting necessary to maintain public health.