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| Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) |
Because jurisdictions and authorities at airports and other ports of entry
overlap, it is important that local, state, and federal staff establish
protocols and outline roles and responsibilities in advance of a public
health emergency.
Currently,
eight of the international airports have permanent federal
quarantine staff.
These federal quarantine staff have primary responsibility for handling
the quarantine-related travel activities described above. State and
local public health staff may provide assistance. At other airports and
ports, local and state public health staff or other deployed persons
will have primary responsibility, under the coordination of regional
quarantine personnel. The local health jurisdiction will have primary
responsibility for follow-up and management of passengers who may have
been exposed to a SARS case on a conveyance.
Most local
and state jurisdictions have adequate quarantine authority to require
a person with a possible communicable disease, such as SARS-CoV disease,
or their contacts to be detained for evaluation. Federal authority can
be used if necessary. Public health officials should work closely with
local, state, and federal law enforcement officials to enforce quarantine
authority for persons who do not cooperate voluntarily.
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