Husband and wife said they cannot travel more than 200 feet.
A Kentucky couple say they have been placed under house arrest for refusing to sign quarantine documents.
It all started when Elizabeth Linscott planned to visit her parents and decided to get tested for COVID-19 before traveling. After testing positive on July 11, the Kentucky Hardin County Health Department contacted Elizabeth.
They asked him to sign documents that required daily records and that they would limit his travel to anywhere, including health centers, unless he first called the health department.
After receiving the documents in an email, Elizabeth refused to sign them.
“I just did not agree with the wording, because I know for sure that if I signed it and had an emergency, they would have kept me by not calling,” he said. “I said I have no problem quarantining myself, but if I have to leave my home for an emergency, I will do so without your prior consent.”
Elizabeth received a call from the Hardin County Health Department asking why she decided not to sign the documents. After an argument with a staff member, Elizabeth hung up the phone in frustration. She then received a text message informing her that because she had refused to sign, the police would be involved.
The couple did not hear anything for several days, but on Thursday, July 16, around 5 pm, police knocked on the Linscotts’ door.
“My husband opens the door and says, ‘What is this about?'” Elizabeth recalled.
“They said, ‘We have three court orders for you, your wife, and your daughter that say you rejected quarantine. So now you should wear these ankle monitors,'” said Isaiah Linscott, Elizabeth’s husband. “We thought, ‘What will happen if we refuse? It will just intensify more and more.'”
The two were told that if they traveled more than 200 feet from the home, the county would be alerted, and if they refused to cooperate, the sheriff’s department would be involved.
The Hardin Country Sheriff’s Office told ABC News that the notices delivered by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office on July 16 are confidential.
Therefore, the Hardin County Sheriff will not comment further and may not disclose additional documents or information unless directed by a court, “they said in a statement.
The Linscotts aren’t the only ones who have had trouble with the law on quarantine-related matters. On March 30, Kentucky Circuit judges ordered that at least four COVID-19 patients wear ankle monitors for allegedly violating the self-isolation orders. And on April 6, the Kanawha County Circuit Court approved that the sheriff’s department issue ankle monitors for those who refuse quarantine. Colorado and Hawaii have also considered using ankle monitors to monitor quarantine officers.
“We should not be placed under illegal house arrest, this should not be happening to anyone,” said Elizabeth.
As of Monday, Kentucky has confirmed more than 23,700 coronavirus cases and nearly 700 deaths. Governor Andy Beshear said 30 of these cases are from children age 5 and under.
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