Kentucky Man Placed Under Armed Guard After Refusing to Self-Isolate
Richard Moorhead
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A Kentucky man has been placed under mandatory armed guard at his home after refusing to self-isolate. The 53-year old man was diagnosed with the Chinese coronavirus earlier this week.
According to local media reports, the man had made the outrageous decision to leave a hospital in Nelson County against the commands of medical personnel.
It’s unclear if the man simply wanted to self-isolate at his home against the wishes or doctors or just willfully ignored the dangers associated with the highly contagious disease.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has gone on to order armed law enforcement officers to surround the man’s residence.
“We’ve got to make sure that people who have tested positive, that we know could be spreading the virus, and simply refuse to do the right thing, do the right thing,” Beshear said at a Saturday press conference updating the press on efforts to combat the disease in the state.
The Kentucky Herald Leader reports that a county judge invoked a state of emergency statute to permit state law enforcement to forcibly quarantine the man in his home.
“It’s a step I hoped I never had to take, but we can’t allow one person who we know has this virus to refuse to protect their neighbors,” said Beshear of the unconventional move at his Saturday press conference.
18 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus in Kentucky.
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