Quarantine and Isolation

Isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.

Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.
Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

U.S. Quarantine Stations, located at ports of entry and land border crossings, use these public health practices as part of a comprehensive Quarantine System that serves to limit the introduction of infectious diseases into the United States and to prevent their spread.

Learn more about how CDC is Protecting America’s Health at U.S. Ports of Entry.

Final Rule for Control of Communicable Diseases: Interstate and Foreign

On January 19^th, 2017, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the Final Rule titled Final Rule for Control of Communicable Diseases: Interstate and Foreign. This Final Rule enhances HHS/CDC’s ability to prevent the introduction, transmission, and spread of communicable diseases into the United States and interstate by clarifying and providing greater transparency regarding its response capabilities and practices. The final rule is published on the Office of the Federal Register’s website. This regulation became effective on March 21^st, 2017.

PHS cutter ship transporting quarantine inspectors to board ships flying the yellow quarantine flag.

Illness and death reporting protocols, disinsection, disease- specific information…

Meet the Quarantine Stations

El paso Quarantine Station sign U.S. Quarantine Stations are located at 20 ports of entry and land-border crossings where international travelers arrive. They are staffed with quarantine medical and public health officers from CDC. These health officers decide whether ill persons can enter the United States and what measures should be taken to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.