A Kentucky man who refused to quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus is now under police guard.
Gov. Andy Beshear said a 53-year-old man in Nelson County was told he was infected after a test at the University of Louisville but left against medical advice. He also said he had no plans to self-quarantine, so a local judge stepped in, according to the New York Post.
The judge declared a state of emergency, an order that gave him the power to force a “self-isolation or quarantine” for the unidentified man. Law enforcement officers then stationed themselves outside of his home to prevent him from leaving and infecting others.
“It’s a step I hoped I’d never have to take, but we can’t allow one person who we know has the virus to refuse to protect their neighbors,” Beshear said. “This, right now, certainly is us against the coronavirus.”
“And all we need from people, we’ve all got to follow these guidelines,” he continued. “We need everybody’s help to do it.”
Beshear said he tested negative for the COVID-19 virus. He took the test after he attended a public event that was also attended by an individual who tested positive for the growing contagion.
There have been at least 3,800 coronavirus cases and 69 deaths in the United States as of Monday morning. In Kentucky, there have been a total of 21 confirmed cases.
