The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- District of Columbia
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Communicable and Preventable Diseases Act, 53 Stat. 1408, sec. 3, as amended by D.C. Law 6-83 and D.C. Law 14-194 sec. 902
- Issued
- 1939-08-11 Aug. 11, 1939
- Effective
- 1939-08-11; in force throughout 2020-2021 (read as 1939-08-11)
- End
- standing (read as 2021-09-30)
- In force
- Standing since Aug. 11, 1939 (a statutory duty; in force throughout the six quarters)
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Quarantine and isolationStanding duty
- Addressees
- persons generally; groups of persons at specified locations; owners or persons in control of premises within the bounds of a detention area
- Character
- statutory authority
- Collection
- Standing duties: District of Columbia DUT-DC
Operative words
Whenever the Mayor... has probable cause to believe that a person is affected with a communicable disease or is a carrier of a communicable disease and that the person's presence in the general population is likely to cause death or seriously impair the health of others, the Mayor may, by written order, direct the removal of that person for the purpose of isolation, quarantine, or treatment.
Penalty
Leaving detention without discharge (sec. 7-136) and interference (sec. 7-139) are punishable under sec. 7-140 by a fine not exceeding $5,000, imprisonment not more than 90 days, or both (Ex. DUT-DC-008)
What it required
Authorizes written orders removing and detaining an individual for isolation, quarantine or treatment (subsection (a)), executed by the Metropolitan Police Department (subsection (b)), and, for 'one or more groups of people at one or more locations', an order directing 'the removal or detention of any such group' that 'shall state the bounds of the area subject to the order' (subsection (c)): the District's area-quarantine power. Character as recorded: statutory_authority (enabling power; binds through the orders issued under it).
Retrieval noteSec. 7-2304(b)(14) (Ex. DUT-DC-001) incorporates this power into the emergency executive order regime. Sections 7-134 and 7-135 (judicial continuation within 24 hours; hearing) were read on the Council's code site and are not separately saved.