Department of Public Health Authority

Section 690.1305  Department of Public Health Authority a)         The Department has supreme authority in matters of quarantine and isolation, and may declare and enforce quarantine and isolation when none exists, and may modify or relax quarantine and isolation when it has been established. (Section 2(a) of the Act) The Department may order a person or a group of persons to be quarantined or isolated or may order a place to be closed and made off limits to the public on an immediate basis without prior consent or court order if, in the reasonable judgment of the Department, immediate action is required to protect the public from a dangerously contagious or infectious disease .  (Section 2(c) of the Act) b)         The Department may order physical examinations and tests and collect laboratory specimens as necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of individuals in order to prevent the probable spread of a dangerously contagious or infectious disease. (Section 2(d) of the Act) c)         The Department may order the administration of vaccines, medications, or other treatments to persons as necessary in order to prevent the probable spread of a dangerously contagious or infectious disease. (Section 2(e) of the Act) d)         The Department may order observation and monitoring of persons to prevent the probable spread of a dangerously contagious or infectious disease .  (Section 2(f) of the Act) e)         In addition to the public health measures in this Subpart, the Department may take actions that it considers necessary to prevent the spread of any dangerously contagious or infectious disease, based on the Department's evaluation of the actions taken by the certified local health department and whether the disease has spread since the certified local health department's actions were initiated. f)         The Department has primary jurisdiction to isolate or quarantine persons or groups of persons if a dangerously contagious or infectious outbreak has affected more than one county or has multi-county, statewide or interstate public health implications.  If isolation is imposed by the Department, the certified local health department may not alter, amend, modify, or rescind any Department order without the express permission of the Department.  The Department may rescind any order issued by a certified local health department if the need arises and shall notify the local authority of that action.