VII. Roles and Responsibilities

Supplement E: Managing International Travel-Related Transmission Risk

Public Health Guidance for Community-Level Preparedness and Response to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Version 2/3

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Because jurisdictions and authorities at airports and other ports of entry overlap, it is important that local, state, and federal staff establish protocols and outline roles and responsibilities in advance of a public health emergency.

Currently, eight of the international airports have permanent federal quarantine staff. These federal quarantine staff have primary responsibility for handling the quarantine-related travel activities described above. State and local public health staff may provide assistance. At other airports and ports, local and state public health staff or other deployed persons will have primary responsibility, under the coordination of regional quarantine personnel. The local health jurisdiction will have primary responsibility for follow-up and management of passengers who may have been exposed to a SARS case on a conveyance.

Most local and state jurisdictions have adequate quarantine authority to require a person with a possible communicable disease, such as SARS-CoV disease, or their contacts to be detained for evaluation. Federal authority can be used if necessary. Public health officials should work closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement officials to enforce quarantine authority for persons who do not cooperate voluntarily.