Key facts
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ordered Angela Perryman, a cruise ship passenger exposed to hantavirus, to remain quarantined in Nebraska.
- The order overrides a CDC medical review recommending Perryman be allowed to quarantine in Florida under minimal supervision.
- Perryman has shown no symptoms of the virus.
- Florida officials did not agree to federal conditions for remote monitoring.
- The Andes virus has a 40% case fatality rate and a 42-day incubation period.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has ordered an American passenger exposed to the hantavirus on a cruise ship to remain in quarantine in Nebraska against her will, despite a federal medical review recommending her release. The passenger, Angela Perryman, has shown no symptoms and was informed of the continued quarantine order by a document slipped under her door.
Perryman, 47, stated she felt betrayed, having been previously told she could complete her 42-day quarantine under home supervision after May 31. An order signed by acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya had initially set May 31 as the end of federal quarantine, citing the virus's incubation period.
Dr. Michael Bell, the CDC's quarantine medical reviewer, recommended rescinding the order on June 11, suggesting a less restrictive home quarantine with monitoring would adequately protect public health. However, Florida officials did not agree to the federal conditions for remote symptom monitoring and 24-hour assistance.
HHS spokeswoman Courtney Spencer stated that Kennedy considered the medical recommendation but maintained the order due to the absence of proper home monitoring by state authorities, emphasizing the need to ensure both Perryman's and the community's wellbeing. The Andes virus, to which Perryman was exposed, has a 40% case fatality rate and an incubation period of up to 42 days.
Perryman, who considers herself a detainee, expects her quarantine to end Sunday, with federal officials having booked her a commercial flight to Florida.