CDC rules broaden; debate over public health vs. civil liberties

Broader quarantine powers for the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are worrisome to some, but much needed to others.

The new regulations are designed to halt outbreaks of contagious diseases such as the Ebola virus or avian flu.

But others think the additional authority may result in unwarranted detentions, according a New York Times op-ed.

"The CDC has been operating its infectious disease powers under really antiquated regulations," Lawrence Gostin, a professor of global health law at Georgetown University, told NPR. He thinks the regulations are needed to protect against health threats.

But Wendy Parmet, a health policy lawyer at Northeastern University, told NPR, "It could represent a great danger to Americans' health and civil liberties.”

The regulations, approved by the Obama administration, are now under review by the Trump administration.

The regulations call for the CDC to be able to detain people without approval from local and state health officials and not just when entering the country or crossing state lines, NPR reports.

This story was originally published February 2, 2017 at 6:12 PM with the headline "CDC rules broaden; debate over public health vs. civil liberties."