The proposed revision is part of the state's Communicable and Certain Other Diseases Act, which suggests including a new COVID protocol. The amendment involves procedures for isolation or quarantine and will allow health officers to issue emergency detention orders, causing a person or a group of persons to be immediately detained for quarantine and isolation purposes.
The revision also specifies that an emergency detention order could be issued by local health officers based solely on his or her discretion.
Mandatory isolation can be ordered if the health officer has reason to believe that the person or group of persons is, or is suspected to be, infected with, exposed to or contaminated with a communicable disease or a chemical, biological or radiological agent that could spread or contaminate others. This mandatory isolation can also be extended if the health officer has reason to believe that the persons in question could pose a serious and imminent risk to the safety and health of others.
Upon finishing the assessment, those who are deemed to be public health threats could be asked to comply with requests for "medical examination, testing, treatment, counseling, vaccination or decontamination of persons or animals, isolation, quarantine and inspection and closure of facilities." (Related: Advanced knowledge? CDC started hiring QUARANTINE program managers last November to cover quarantine centers in Texas, California, New York, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts and more.)
Health officers were given police power to "force" citizens to comply with isolation orders
However, those who refuse to voluntarily comply can be compelled to do so, as the revision will give others the power to call on police in case someone refuses to comply with the order.
Specifically, the text stated that local health officers may invoke the power of police officers, sheriffs, constables and other officers and employees of any political subdivisions within the jurisdiction of the health department to enforce orders regarding quarantine and isolation. This means that if the revision is approved, anyone can be forced to get tested, treated or vaccinated if the local health authorities decide it would "contribute to the safety of others."
While this kind of practice seems unthinkable, it has already been employed in other democratic countries such as Australia and Germany.
Australia is already using its army to "relocate" COVID positive cases and their contacts to "mandatory supervised quarantine facilities."
In Germany, local media reported that at least 15 people in the 10 larges cities have been forcibly placed in quarantine facilities in 2021 for "disregarding domestic isolation requirements."
Washington state uses its "emergency detention order" to legalize the isolation and detainment of people who are deemed to be public health threats for a period "not exceeding ten days," although a local health officer could be given the right to petition the superior court for an order that authorizes the continued detention of a person for up to 30 days.
There have also been reports of the WSBH recruiting candidates for a new "Isolation and Quarantine Strike Team" which will be in charge of the "Isolation and Quarantine facility" for non-Washington residents traveling in the state who tested positive for COVID-19 or who would have been exposed to those who tested positive, but with no residence or location in which to spend their 10-14 day isolation period.
A similar initiative has also been discussed in New York, which fortunately has been pulled in late December.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 continues its rampage through Washington state, as it recorded over 6,037 new cases after breaking records over the holiday break, with 6,883 cases on Dec. 30; 10,470 cases on Dec. 31; 8,521 cases on New Year’s Day; and 8,054 cases on January 2.
By Monday, the statewide totals were at 882,144 cases and 9,853 deaths. The case total included 103,033 probably infections, with the death data not updated due to technical issues. From December 22 to 28, 15.6 percent of staffed ICU beds in Washington were occupied by COVID-19 patients.
Watch the video below to learn more about the COVID-19 situation in Washington State.
This video is from the "Truth for Consequences" channel on Brighteon.com.
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