TAMPA, Fla (WFLA) – A concern many are fearing with the coronavirus is the legal rights individuals have if they are ordered to be quarantined or isolated.
On Tuesday, Health Care Attorney Erin Aebel of Shumaker, Loop, and Kendrick spoke with 8 on Your Side about the coronavirus and legal rights as it pertains to the state of Florida.
Aebel said that the State Department of Health is the lead agency when it comes to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and that the state health officer has broad authority to do whatever is necessary as long as it agrees with state law.
“So that means if someone is a person under investigation as defined by the CDC, which are very specific people who meet the CDC guidelines, then the Department of Health will order quarantine or isolation of those individuals,” said Aebel.
She adds that once that order is placed on you, your rights are limited.
“There is a lot of legal authority that public health comes first and its balanced against your individual rights to move around,” added Aebel.
There are also consequences for those who choose to not follow their order and those people could be charged with a misdemeanor.
MORE ON CORONAVIRUS
