A new report from the US Government Accountability Office sheds light on challenges and shortcomings in isolation and quarantine planning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The study, which examined seven selected jurisdictions (states and territories), found that although all implemented isolation and quarantine measures, significant hurdles occurred in enforcement and logistics.
The report revealed a disparity in pre-pandemic planning among jurisdictions. Some had detailed plans based on past experiences with diseases such as H1N1 influenza, whereas others only had high-level provisions within broader emergency plans. In response to their COVID-19 experiences, jurisdictions have taken steps to strengthen their planning, including updating plans to identify potential isolation and quarantine facilities.
Federal agencies, primarily the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provided guidance and funding to support jurisdictions’ efforts. The GAO, however, identified a critical issue: the CDC did not provide advance notice of isolation and quarantine guidance to jurisdictions before publication, which slowed the implementation of these crucial measures.
Further, the report highlighted that the CDC has not assessed jurisdictions’ planning for isolation and quarantine. This oversight, the GAO said, means that the agency may lack vital information needed to identify and address gaps in preparedness, including the absence of plans in some areas.
The GAO made two key recommendations to the CDC:
- Document intentions to share finalized isolation and quarantine guidance with jurisdictions before publication.
- Assess jurisdictional planning for these measures.
Those recommendations, with full agreement from the US Department of Health and Human Services, aim to improve preparedness and response capabilities for future public health emergencies, according to the report.
The GAO said that assessing jurisdictions’ planning will help the CDC better fulfill its responsibility and identify and help address any gaps in jurisdictional planning for future disease outbreaks.
