By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — One of the local public officials on the call with Reno County Health Department director Nick Baldetti on Monday morning will have further discussions with him and law enforcement on how to deal with someone who will not voluntarily self-quarantine during the COVID-19 situation.
"We would hope that anyone would adhere to any voluntary self-quarantine order," Baldetti said. "If it is the case that we find that they are not adhering, then the health officer can administer a ordered quarantine or isolation order, in which case, then we can also bring the aspect of law enforcement in to enforce that quarantine order."
The specifics of whether that would be through a person or electronic means was still to be discussed as of Monday.
"I don't think we're going to have a standard point of action," Baldetti said. "I think we're going to have to take it on a case-by-case basis, because, outside of having somebody stationed outside of someone's home or place of quarantine, generally speaking, I know our law enforcement entities do not have the kind of resources to allocate that type of enforcement. I'm not quite sure exactly what our protocol would be, yet."
Sheriff Darrian Campbell says they have discussed what a large-scale quarantine might need to look like, but they don't think they'll get there.
"Most discussions that we've been involved in on some activities and other things, once we visit with them they understand and they're compliant," Campbell said. "I don't anticipate that we'd have to go to that extreme."
Baldetti said there have been previous health situations where he has had to enforce a quarantine, but nothing during this event at this point.