64D-3.038. Quarantine Orders and Requirements

(1) Quarantine orders shall be issued by the State Health Officer, or the county health department director or administrator, or their designee in writing; include an expiration date or specify condition(s) for ending of quarantine; and restrict or compel movement and actions by or regarding persons, animals or premises consistent with the protection of public health and accepted health practices except as otherwise governed by subsection (6).

(2) For the purpose of orders regarding quarantine, the term “actions” encompasses isolation, closure of premises, testing, destruction, disinfection, treatment, protocols during movement and preventive treatment, including immunization.

(3) Subjects or objects of quarantine orders shall be accessible at all times to the Department or its designees for purposes related to declaration, enforcement, maintenance, modification or abolition of such orders. The prohibition shall remain in effect until the situation no longer represents a public health hazard as determined by the county health department director or administrator or their designated representative.

(4) Where quarantine is used pursuant to Section 381.00315(1)(b)4., F.S., the subject individual may choose isolation in their domicile and such closure as needed to ensure that isolation, unless the Department determines that the subject individual's domicile is not a practical method of quarantine.

(5) Whenever provisions of this chapter require laboratory specimens to be submitted for the identification of specific microorganisms in order to determine eligibility for release from quarantine, such examination shall be performed in a laboratory approved by the Department for performing such tests.

(6) For zoonosis control and prevention, any animal determined by the Department to be a significant threat to human health shall be humanely euthanized in accordance with the American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia, incorporated by reference, available from the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin A-12, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1720. Such an order shall be issued in writing.

(7) Transportation or removal of quarantined persons or animals with written orders issued shall be made in accordance with orders issued by the State Health Officer, or the county health department director or administrator or their designee.

(8) Quarantine Disinfection Procedures: Collection of contaminated matter and quarantine disinfection procedures shall be in accordance with orders issued by the State Health Officer, or the county health department director or administrator or their designee.

(a) Concurrent disinfection is required of infectious or potentially infectious secretions or excretions of any quarantined person or animal or of objects contaminated by such secretions and/or excretions.

(b) Terminal disinfection shall be carried out at the termination of the period of quarantine and shall be applied to the quarters vacated. 

Rulemaking Authority 381.0011(2), (3), (7), 381.003(2), 381.00315(4), (5), (6), 384.33 FS. Law Implemented 381.0011(3), (7), 381.0012, 381.003(1), 381.00315(1)(b)4., (4), (5), 384.28, 392.56 FS. History–New 11-20-06.