Quarantine Authority in Texas: A COVID-19 Case Study

Abstract

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world grappled with how to protect their citizens from disease. Governments had to carefully balance the tension between individual rights and public health measures, while also considering which level of government was best situated to act. This paper, focusing on the response to COVID-19 in Texas, discusses the constitutionality of quarantines by balancing individual rights and public health. This paper also discusses how quarantine authority is shared among local, state, and federal levels of government in Texas. Finally, this paper analyzes some of the early actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.