68-5-104 - Quarantine Penalty for escape. - Tennessee Statutes

68-5-104. Quarantine Penalty for escape.

(a)  (1)  It is the duty of the local health authorities, on receipt of a report of a case, or suspected case, of disease declared to be communicable, contagious, or one which has been declared by the commissioner of health to be subject to isolation or quarantine, to confirm or establish the diagnosis, to determine the source or cause of the disease and to take such steps as may be necessary to isolate or quarantine the case or premise upon which the case, cause or source may be found, as may be required by the rules and regulations of the state department of health.

     (2)  The commissioner is authorized and directed to promulgate and publish such rules and regulations as may be necessary to prevent the spread of contagious or communicable diseases in order to protect the public health and welfare.

(b)  Any person isolated or quarantined in accordance with any statute or rule or regulation promulgated and published in accordance with statutes relating to isolation or quarantine, who willfully escapes from such isolation or quarantine, commits a Class B misdemeanor.

(c)  Whenever any one of the local health authorities, either municipal or county as the case may be, isolates, quarantines or placards any person or house for communicable diseases, it is the duty of the health official to deliver or cause to be delivered to the head of the household a copy of this law or such portion of this law as may pertain to the particular case under consideration.

[Acts 1905, ch. 519, §§ 3, 12; Shan., §§ 3114a1, 3114a2, 3114a11; Code 1932, §§ 5792, 5793, 5802; Acts 1957, ch. 14, §§ 1, 2; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 53-607, 53-608, 53-617; Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 112.]