Public Health Act (Chapter 12.15)
2020 Revised Edition
This law lays out powers in regards to disease control. One provision gives the Minister the authority to make regulations about isolation and quarantine for notifiable diseases. The law assigns the Supreme Court the power to grant detention orders for patients who are sick with notifiable diseases; these isolation orders are enforced through the use of reasonable force. Additionally, the law spells out isolation and quarantine measures for states of public health emergency. During a public health emergency, nationally appointed emergency medical officers can isolate patients with "serious diseases," while nationally appointed emergency officers can require a person to stay in a specific location, which encompasses contacts (quarantine), sick persons (isolation), and well persons. Notably, no relevant legislation was identified that lists the "notifiable conditions" referred to in this act.
| Applicable country | Tonga | ||
| Topics | Quarantine and isolation Risk communication and community engagement | ||
| Subtopics | Quarantine and isolation policies Quarantine enforcement mechanisms and penalties Authority to quarantine List of actionable diseases Isolation enforcement mechanisms and penalties Authority to isolate Misinformation or disinformation Emergency vaccination authority | ||
| Latest update | 1 Jan 2020 | ||
| Relevant articles | Articles 151, 157, and 158 - Supreme Court Detention Orders (Isolation) and Enforcement through Reasonable Force Article 177 - Designation of Emergency Officers Article 178 - Designation of Emergency Medical Officers Article 180 - Designation of Powers to Emergency Officers and Emergency Medical Officers Article 181 - Emergency Officer Authority to Require a Person to Stay in a Designated Location (Quarantine and Isolation); A. 181(1)(e) - emergency vaccination Article 187 - Emergency Medical Officer Detention Order (Isolation) Articles 189 - Emergency Medical Officer Isolation Enforcement Mechanisms Article 197 - Misinformation Article 237 - Emergency Medical Officer Isolation and Emergency Officer Isolation and Quarantine Enforcement Mechanisms Article 249 - Ministerial Authority to Make Regulations about Isolation and Quarantine | ||
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