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A Kentucky couple found out the hard way that health officials in their state aren’t playing when it comes to positive COVID-19 testing results.
Elizabeth Linscott of Radcliff, KY, told local news station WAVE she took a COVID-19 as a precaution before a trip to visit family in Michigan. The next day, Linscott received a positive test result along with a form to sign from the health department, The News-Enterprise reported.
The document required Linscott to check in daily with her symptoms, self-isolate, and contact officials if she had to seek hospital treatment. Linscott told her local news that “she opted not to sign because she worried about whether she would have time to contact health officials in the event of a health emergency.”
Linscott told WAVE, “My part was if I have to go to the ER, if I have to go to the hospital, I’m not going to wait to get the approval to go.”
So, Linscott didn’t sign. The next day, Linscott and her husband, Isaiah, got a house call from health officials.
“I open up the door and there’s like eight different people,” he said. “I’m like what the heck’s going on?”
“This guy’s in a suit with a mask, it’s the health department guy and he has three different papers for us. For me, her and my daughter.”
The family was placed under house arrest for two weeks, ordered to wear ankle monitors, and are not allowed to travel more than 200 feet from the house.
Lincoln Trail District Health Department declined to comment, citing the privacy of the family.
The family has since been on several news stations, in the New York Post, and on this and many other websites. So, there’s that.
I’m on the fence about this entire situation. On one hand, I feel that Linscott might have misunderstood the document, and the health department only required her to alert them if she has to go to the hospital as a result of COVID. I don’t believe she needed their permission to go get help.
On the other hand, house arrest feels a little much. Maybe just require her to sign, if she doesn’t, there’s a fine or a fine involved if she’s caught out in public.
“We didn’t rob a store. We didn’t steal something,” Elizabeth said. “We didn’t hit and run. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
[via New York Post]
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Chris Illuminati is a 5-time published author and recovering a**hole who writes about running, parenting, and professional wrestling. Reach out to him on Instagram & Twitter.