RADCLIFF, Ky. — A Kentucky couple who refused to sign a self-isolation order when one tested positive for the coronavirus said they were placed under a mandated quarantine.
Elizabeth Linscott of Radcliff told news outlets Sunday she was tested July 11 for COVID-19 because she wanted to visit her grandparents and received a positive result the next day.
According to documents, the Lincoln Trail District Health Department which covers Hardin County said Linscott attended a church service on July 1 where there were 25 confirmed cases. The department issued an isolation order for her, her husband and their baby.
Linscott said the health department emailed her a form to sign that said she would check in daily, self isolate and let officials know if she has to be treated at the hospital.
The form said the isolation order is to “prevent the introduction, transmission and spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus in this state.”
Court documents show Linscott refused to voluntarily isolate herself from members outside of her household.
Linscott said she declined to sign because of one sentence: “I will not travel by any public, commercial or health care conveyance such as ambulance, bus, taxi, airplane, train or boat without the prior approval of the Department of Public Health.”
“I could not comply to having to call the public health department prior if I had an emergency or I had to go pick something up for my child or myself as a necessity and could not wait,” Linscott said.
In a statement in the court order she said: “I will do my best to stay home, as I do every other time I get sick. But I cannot comply to having to call the public health department everytime that I need to go out and do something. It’s my right and freedoms to go where I please and not have to answer to anyone for it. There is no pandemic and with a survival rate of 99.9998%, I’m fine. I will continue to avoid the elderly, just like PRIOR guidelines state, try to stay home, get rest, get medicine, and get better. I decline.”
When she declined to sign the form she said she was told the case would be escalated and on July 16, Linscott said she and her husband were placed under house arrest with ankle monitors.
On July 16, the health department ordered the family to quarantine for 14 days.
Hardin County Sheriff John Ward said his office was on hand to execute court documents from a Hardin County Circuit Court judge. It was the first time his office executed such an order, he said. In a press release Monday the sheriff said the office didn't install location monitoring devices on anyone in the county, nor had open cases. Radcliff Police and KSP both said they were not involved either.
WHAS11 made numerous calls and sent emails to the Lincoln Trail District Health Department Monday but none of them were returned.
The isolation order will end on July 30th, until then the health department said it will make sure to provide the family with food, medicine and other necessities.