Legality of CDC flu screening
 

"More than 100 staffers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are being deployed to three US airports to check passengers arriving from Wuhan, China, for fever and other symptoms of a mysterious new virus that's killed two and infected dozens in China, the CDC announced Friday."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/17/healt...-bn/index.html

So what happens if passengers refuse screening? From my understanding as American citizen I can't be forced to undergo screening unless it can be established that i am danger to myself or others.

The legal authority is 42 U.S. Code § 264.

It's been used in the past to screen arriving international passengers for SARS and Ebola.

Not sure what happens if someone refuses. Quarantine?

Quarantine would be the logical next step.... As far as "establishing you are a danger "...what are the requirements there? It may be as simple as establishing that you came from an infected area.....(I have no idea.... but may I ask WHAT the objection to screening is anyway?... Ive read far too much about the historical spread of infectious diseases to want to even take a chance.....)

I was under impression that was challenged when states tried to do Ebola quarantine and there was changes.

I refuse to follow government directions. Regarding quarantine, i was under impression that there was settlement/changes after the lawsuit as result of Ebola quarantine. Also I would challenge quarantine under habeas corpus petition. It would be up to government to provide evidence i am danger to the public and coming from area in itself i would think is not sufficient to hold someone against their will

If you're referring to the Kaci Hickox case against the state of New Jersey, according to her lawyer, the outcome was "Under the settlement, anyone quarantined in New Jersey can contest the order and has the rights to have legal counsel, to be given prior notice of any hearings and to send and receive communications. It also guarantees a person the right to privacy so long as it does not interfere with vital public health needs."

That doesn't mean the CDC can't forcibly quarantine anyone they believe to "to be infected witha communicable disease in aqualifying stage."

CBP and CDC could delay admitting the person and wait to cherry pick on something as a potential symptom of some public health threat and then latch on to that to mandate testing to see if quarantine/isolation is necessary or not:

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2014/10/08/...elers-airports

Some would perhaps call the result a quarantine/isolation anyway.

Check this out too about “Federal and State Quarantine and Isolation Authority”:

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/RL33201.pdf

It’s about more than just quarantine and isolation authority, but it covers that too.

Very interesting reading, thanks for the link. I guess the main question is what evidence does CDC needs to quanrantine someone? Going even further let says they do quarantine someone and that person refuses to be tested, what happens when habeas corpus petition is filed. CDC needs to present evidence that person is danger to others. They can't just say he refuse to be tested, so we going to quarantine . That would violates us constitution.

I do not believe you can be forced to undergo testing. Yes they can quarantine you but then we than get in to habeas corpus petition and what evidence gets presented to the judge? I am betting ACLU would take this type of case. At the end of day, judge will make final determination and i am having hard time believing that judge will approve quarantine just because someone refused to undergo testing to satisfy CDC.

I would be very surprised if the average American judge would deny a “quarantine or mandatory testing” quandary for a target when CDC says the target was coming from an area hit by a serious public health danger (of a communicable disease sort) and exhibiting some symptoms of the communicable disease being seen as a serious public health danger at the time. At a federal appeals court level or higher, I would expect near-certain defeat for those complaining about being stopped by CDC when found to be uncooperative with even testing of a rather non-invasive sort during a public health emergency.

I am having very hard time believing that a judge would let us citizen be quarantine just because that person came from a region with potential virus and is refusing to submit to government testing. Now if the person is actually showing sign of symptoms that is different but from my understanding CDC is testing everyone.

I am having a hard time believing that a US citizen would be willing to potentially start a public health epidemic by refusing a simple test.

You're talking about someone trying to force their way in to the USA with a poorly-understood and potentially-lethal virus. And you think a judge or jury would have a hard time labeling you a "public health threat"? Don't be ridiculous.

Nevermind there is clearly some benefit to the traveler to know whether (s)he is infected.

how do you get through the airport? do you pay taxes? drive on roads?

If a person had just come from an area hit by a serious public health danger (of a communicable disease sort) and has been observed exhibiting some symptoms (of the communicable disease that is seen as a serious public health danger at the time) and is non-cooperative in terms of being tested, then I wouldn’t be surprised if even a panel of judges would agree that such person could be subject to a quarantine or other hold for observation absent an agreement to be tested and further cooperate.

Mandatory invasive testing of persons not exhibiting any symptoms for the disease is one thing. Mandatory non-invasive testing of persons not exhibiting any symptoms but having had just come from staying in the disease-affected area is another thing. I would be surprised if they were viewed the same way by most.

I assure you that if I am ever the Captain of the flight you are on, I will have you removed simply for this statement since the vast majority of airplane rules are issued by the FAA or the relevant countries regulatory authority. So you wouldn't have to worry about avoiding the CDC screening because you could stay in Wuhan or whereever you happen to be.... Good grief, grow up would you....

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There is an unknown form of pneumonia that has developed in China and so far has migrated to Japan. Treatment options seem limited. This isn't just a China problem but could have a worldwide impact. A non US citizen exhibiting possible symptoms who won't cooperate could be turned away although that presents medical risks to others. A citizen who displays symptoms and won't cooperate would likely be held given authorities time to determine if the person is infected.

I see nothing wrong with a quarantine until a determination is made. Doesn't take that long to determine if a person is a carrier of a given strain of a virus.