The State of California issued its own set of Ebola quarantine guidelines on Wednesday, saying that only those who have had contact with infected people in West Africa will be required to undergo a 21-day quarantine upon their return to the state.
California’s guidelines come on the heels of other quarantine policies set forth by New York and New Jersey, policies that have faced heavy criticism from high places. According to the Los Angeles Times, California’s guidelines are more “nuanced,” and allow for county health officials to determine a traveler’s Ebola risk level by conducting screenings on a case-by-case basis.
“This order will allow local health officers to determine, for those coming into California, who is most at risk for developing this disease, and to contain any potential spread of the disease by responding to those risks appropriately,” California Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ron Chapman said in a statement.
In its statement, the CDPH emphasized that healthcare workers who have not had contact with Ebola-infected people in West Africa will not have to undergo the quarantine.
Still, as the Times notes, the policy does stipulate that anyone attempting to defy a quarantine order could face misdemeanor criminal charges.
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