RFK Jr. keeps hantavirus cruise passenger quarantined against her will

Key Points:

• U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered cruise ship passenger Angela Perryman to remain in a Nebraska quarantine facility despite a federal medical review recommending she be allowed to quarantine at home in Florida.
• Perryman, exposed to hantavirus, has been symptom-free for five weeks but remains confined due to Florida's refusal to meet federal monitoring requirements, leading to criticism of the quarantine as excessive and politically motivated.
• Experts, including public health law specialist Lawrence Gostin, condemned the decision as a violation of Perryman’s rights and contrary to medical consensus, noting Florida’s proposed monitoring plan was reasonable.
• Perryman described her quarantine conditions as restrictive and dehumanizing, expressing frustration that Kennedy overruled medical advice and extended her confinement beyond the initially voluntary period.
• The hantavirus strain involved, Andes virus, can rarely spread between people, prompting strict quarantine measures, but the prolonged isolation has sparked debate over balancing public health and individual liberties.