18 U.S. Hantavirus Passengers Ordered to Stay in Nebraska Until May 31

7 articles · Updated · CNN · May 19

Eighteen American passengers exposed on the HV Hondius were told Sunday they must remain at the National Quarantine Center in Nebraska until at least May 31, with at least two placed under formal federal orders after pushing to leave.
Three post-disembarkation infections in Spain, France and Canada triggered the policy shift, officials told passengers, reversing expectations that some could finish quarantine at home under local health department supervision.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya signed the order, and CDC officials said they are still coordinating with state and local authorities, even though earlier briefings had pointed toward home monitoring with twice-daily in-person checks.
Passengers said they felt blindsided and misled, arguing they were not seeking release from quarantine but a less restrictive home option; one said he plans to challenge the order.
The move has drawn criticism because officials still describe public risk from Andes hantavirus as low, and some experts say home quarantine could have been a reasonable alternative.

Why mandate federal quarantine for a negative test when the public risk from this rare virus is extremely low?

What precedent does this set for future quarantines of healthy people exposed to other deadly diseases?

With smart TVs and takeout, is quarantine in America's top biocontainment unit a safe haven or a gilded cage?