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After MERS, South Korea Authorizes Prison for Quarantine Scofflaws
By CHOE SANG-HUNJUNE 26, 2015
SEOUL, South Korea ? Stung by the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, South Korea has passed a law authorizing prison terms of up to two years for people who defy quarantine orders or lie about their potential exposure to an infectious disease.
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The spread of MERS here has been attributed mainly to poor infection control at the country?s hospitals, as well as failures of communication and coordination on the government?s part. But the public has also been angered by reports of people flouting orders to stay home while they were being monitored for symptoms. One such person went golfing; another went to China, where he was detained and later tested positive for MERS. Under current law, such defiance can result in a fine but not imprisonment.
The new law, which was passed Thursday and takes effect in six months, gives more authority to public health investigators, empowering them to close down the site of a potential outbreak of infectious disease and to place people there under quarantine. People who defy the orders can be sentenced to up to two years in prison or fined up to 20 million won, or about $18,000. The same penalties can be imposed for lying about one?s potential exposure to infectious disease.
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By CHOE SANG-HUNJUNE 26, 2015
SEOUL, South Korea ? Stung by the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome, South Korea has passed a law authorizing prison terms of up to two years for people who defy quarantine orders or lie about their potential exposure to an infectious disease.
...
The spread of MERS here has been attributed mainly to poor infection control at the country?s hospitals, as well as failures of communication and coordination on the government?s part. But the public has also been angered by reports of people flouting orders to stay home while they were being monitored for symptoms. One such person went golfing; another went to China, where he was detained and later tested positive for MERS. Under current law, such defiance can result in a fine but not imprisonment.
The new law, which was passed Thursday and takes effect in six months, gives more authority to public health investigators, empowering them to close down the site of a potential outbreak of infectious disease and to place people there under quarantine. People who defy the orders can be sentenced to up to two years in prison or fined up to 20 million won, or about $18,000. The same penalties can be imposed for lying about one?s potential exposure to infectious disease.
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