Chapter 7.04
HEALTH DEPARTMENT – HEALTH OFFICER1
Sections
7.04.010 Health services contract authorized.
7.04.020 Health officer – Designated.
7.04.030 Purpose – Interpretation of chapter.
7.04.040 Report of contagious disease to health officer.
7.04.050 Closing places of assembly during epidemic.
7.04.060 Quarantine regulations.
7.04.070 Unlawful to leave quarantine without permission.
7.04.080 Unlawful to bring contagious disease into city – Quarantine.
7.04.090 Nuisances detrimental to health – Abatement.
7.04.100 Refusal to obey or interference with health officials.
7.04.010 Health services contract authorized.
The city manager is authorized, pursuant to RCW 70.08.090 as presently constituted or as may be subsequently amended, to enter into an agreement with the governing bodies of the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health to provide certain services for and in behalf of the city relating to public health. The terms and conditions of such contract, the services performed thereunder, and the compensation paid for such services are negotiated and renegotiated from time to time. [Ord. 999 § 1, 1993: Ord. 45 § 1, 1960.]
7.04.020 Health officer – Designated.
Pursuant to RCW 70.08.050 as presently constituted or as may be subsequently amended, the director of public health of the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health is appointed as the health officer for the city. [Ord. 999 § 2, 1993: Ord. 45 § 2, 1960.]
7.04.030 Purpose – Interpretation of chapter.
This chapter shall be deemed an exercise of the police power of the city for the protection of the public health, and all its provisions shall be liberally construed for the accomplishment of that purpose. [Ord. 45 § 3, 1960.]
7.04.040 Report of contagious disease to health officer.
It is unlawful for a physician, being called to attend a patient, and finding such patient sick of typhus, typhoid, ship or yellow fever, Asiatic cholera, smallpox, diphtheria or membranous croup, scarlet fever or scarlatina, measles, German measles, whooping cough, mumps, chicken pox, cerebrospinal meningitis, bubonic plague, or tuberculosis, or finding such patient showing such symptoms as indicate that he may have any of the aforesaid diseases, or in case there is no attending physician, for a nurse attending a patient and having reason to believe that such patient is afflicted with any of the aforesaid diseases, or in case there is no attending physician or nurse, for the head of a household, proprietor of a hotel or lodging house, hospital, or sanitarium, having reason to believe that an inmate of such house is afflicted with any of the aforesaid diseases, to fail or neglect to immediately report, in writing, to the health officer of the city, the existence of such disease and the name of the person afflicted therewith, or, to fail or neglect to immediately report to the health officer the death of any person occurring from any of the aforesaid diseases. [Ord. 45 § 4, 1960.]
7.04.050 Closing places of assembly during epidemic.
The health officer is authorized and empowered, and it is the health officer’s duty, in all cases of pestilence, contagious, infectious, or epidemic disease, or of danger from anticipated or impending pestilence, contagious, infectious, or epidemic disease, or in case the sanitary condition of the city is of such a character as to warrant it, to take such measures, and to adopt such specific rules, and to do and order and cause to be done such acts for the preservation of the public health as the public safety and health demand. To that end the health officer may cause schools, libraries, theaters, churches, and all buildings or places where people are accustomed to congregate, and all other houses, buildings, and places where the health officer has reason to believe there is or may be special danger of contagion, to be closed for a specified period, or until the danger from such pestilence, contagious, infectious, or epidemic disease has ceased to exist, and to cause all such buildings to be disinfected. It is unlawful for a person to violate or neglect or refuse to obey any such specific rules, regulations, or orders made by the health officer. [Ord. 999 § 3, 1993: Ord. 45 § 6, 1960.]
7.04.060 Quarantine regulations.
Whenever it comes to the knowledge of the health officer that an adult in the city has chicken pox, or a person in the city has smallpox, varioloid syphilis, gonorrhea, or any other contagious or infectious disease of a similar or different kind from that specified in this chapter, or a disease or sickness dangerous to the public health, the health officer is authorized and empowered, and it is the health officer’s duty to forthwith, whenever in the health officer’s judgment it is safe, expedient, and practicable, cause such infected person to be removed to and kept in a hospital, sanitarium, a separate house, or such place as may be designated by the health officer, or as may be by law or ordinance provided therefor, and cause the person to be properly treated and cared for, and to make such other rules and regulations as may be necessary or advisable for the protection of the public health. In case, in the judgment of the health officer, it is unsafe, inexpedient, or impracticable to remove such person to such hospital, sanitarium, separate house, or such place as has been designated by the health officer, or as may be by law or ordinance provided therefor, it is the health officer’s duty to forthwith establish and enforce such quarantine or other regulations as are necessary for the protection of the public from such disease. [Ord. 999 § 4, 1993: Ord. 45 § 7, 1960.]
7.04.070 Unlawful to leave quarantine without permission.
It is unlawful for a person knowing, or having cause to believe themselves to be sick with typhus fever, ship or yellow fever, Asiatic cholera, smallpox, diphtheria or membranous croup, measles, scarlet fever or scarlatina, bubonic plague, or being an adult with chicken pox, or a person acting as nurse or attendant upon such sick person, or a person living in the house with such sick person, to appear upon any of the streets, alleys, or other public places of the city, or move about or approach or mix with other persons, or to move to or visit another habitation or building, or to remove from a house or place, to any other house or place, or leave such house or place for any purpose, or for a person to remove such sick person from such house or place to any other house or place, or to permit a minor child living in the house with such sick person to leave such house, without permission from the health officer so to do. [Ord. 45 § 8, 1960.]
7.04.080 Unlawful to bring contagious disease into city – Quarantine.
(1) It is unlawful for a person knowing, or having cause to believe himself or herself sick with, or having recently been sick with typhus fever, ship or yellow fever, Asiatic cholera, smallpox, diphtheria or membranous croup, measles, scarlet fever or scarlatina, or bubonic plague, or being an adult with chicken pox, or coming from a place or locality where such disease is prevalent, to come within the limits of the city until granted permission to do so by the health officer. If such person comes within the limits of the city without first having secured such permission from the health officer to do so, it is lawful for the health officer to cause the removal of such person from the city, and in case of his or her neglect or refusal to leave the city upon being notified to do so, to cause his or her arrest and detention, at such suitable place as the health officer may direct, until he or she is free from all danger of communicating such disease.
(2) It is unlawful for the person in charge of a public conveyance, to bring within the limits of the city a person infected with, or when the person in charge of a public conveyance has reasonable cause to believe that such person is or has been recently infected with any of the diseases mentioned in this section, or who comes from a place or locality where any of such diseases are prevalent, or to permit baggage belonging to such person, or any other baggage which has come in contact therewith, or which the person in charge of a public conveyance has reason to believe has been exposed to contagion, to be removed from such public conveyance, without first having obtained from the health officer permission to do so. [Ord. 999 § 5, 1993: Ord. 45 § 9, 1960.]
7.04.090 Nuisances detrimental to health – Abatement.
It is unlawful for a person to have or permit upon premises owned, occupied, or controlled by them, a nuisance detrimental to health, or an accumulation of filth, garbage, decaying animal or vegetable matter, or animal or human excrement, and it shall be the duty of the City Manager or the City Manager’s authorized representative to cause such person to be notified to abolish, abate and remove such nuisances, and in case such person fails, neglects, or refuses to remove the same within three days after receiving such notice, such nuisance may be removed and abated under and by order of the City Manager or the City Manager’s authorized representative and the person whose duty it was to abate or remove such nuisance, in addition to incurring penalties in this chapter provided, shall become indebted to the City for the damages, costs, and charges incurred by the City by reason of the existence and removal of such nuisance. [Ord. 1799 § 5, 2024; Ord. 130 § 1, 1962: Ord. 45 § 10, 1960.]
7.04.100 Refusal to obey or interference with health officials.
It is unlawful for a person to violate or refuse to obey a lawful order or regulation of the health officer or a quarantine officer within the powers conferred by the ordinances of the city upon the officer making such order, or to in any manner obstruct or interfere with the health officer or an appointee, in the performance of duties imposed by the ordinances of the city. [Ord. 999 § 6, 1993: Ord. 45 § 11, 1960.]
7.04.110 Right of entry for inspection.
Repealed by Ord. 999. [Ord. 45 § 12, 1960.]
7.04.120 Arrested persons to be given medical examination.
Repealed by Ord. 999. [Ord. 45 § 13, 1960.]
For statutory provisions regarding the establishment of a health department, the duties of the health officer and general health provisions, see chapter 70.05 RCW; for provisions regarding the abatement of public nuisances affecting the health of the community, see chapter 9.66 RCW. For annotations regarding compulsory physical examinations of prisoners, see 25 ALR 2d. 1407.