The US government has filed a statement of interest supporting a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of an order imposing a 14-day quarantine on visitors to the state of Hawaii during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Justice Department said in a news release on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2020) The US government has filed a statement of interest supporting a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of an order imposing a 14-day quarantine on visitors to the state of Hawaii during the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Justice Department said in a news release on Wednesday.
"The Justice Department yesterday filed a statement of interest in Hawaii Federal court in support of a lawsuit filed by Nevada and California residents who own property in Hawaii challenging a measure by Governor David Ige in response to COVID-19 that mandates a 14-day self-quarantine for individuals entering Hawaii," the release said.
Under the governor's order, the Hawaii residents who have remained in the state since the onset of the pandemic, whether they have self-quarantined within the last 14 days or not, are free to travel between the Hawaiian islands and engage in commerce with some businesses, the release noted.
However, "Out-of-staters such as the plaintiffs [in the law suit] by contrast, must self-quarantine in a single location for two weeks before they can share in the same freedoms available to most Hawaii residents," the release said.
The statement of interest is part of US Attorney General William Barr's April 27 initiative to review state and local policies to ensure that civil liberties are protected during the pandemic, the Justice Department said.
