As COVID-19 cases rise in Mississippi, the state’s Department of Health on Friday sent out an alert warning those who test positive for COVID-19 to isolate for 10 days or face up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Fox News reported that the order issued Friday by State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said that those “infected with COVID-19 must remain in the home or other appropriate residential location for 10 days from onset of illness.”
Dobbs added that people isolating due to a positive COVID-19 test don’t need a negative test to end their quarantine, but do need to be “fever free for at least 24 hours with improvement of other symptoms.” Further, any students or faculty in K-12 schools who test positive for COVID-19 are not allowed on campus during the isolation period.
Anyone who doesn’t follow this protocol, Dobbs wrote, faces stiff penalties.
“The failure or refusal to obey the lawful order of a health officer is, at a minimum, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of $500.00 (41-3-59) or imprisonment for six months or both. If a life-threatening disease is involved, failure or refusal to obey the lawful order of a health officer is a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000.00 or imprisonment for up to five years or both (41- 23-2),” Dobbs wrote.
