Los Angeles County Municipal Code Part 1 General Requirements

A.

Within a reasonable length of time after the receipt by him of a report of a case of contagious, infectious or communicable disease, the director of public health shall make such investigation and take such measures as in his opinion and uncontrolled discretion may be necessary to prevent spread of said disease and to enforce the provisions of this Division 1 and statutes, particularly, but not limited to, the Health and Safety Code and the Regulations of the California Department of Health Services.

B.

In such cases, the director shall collect and submit to the county public health department laboratory, or to another laboratory approved by the California Department of Health Services, such samples and laboratory specimens as may be necessary to determine the diagnosis, source of infection, and possible infection of persons who have been in contact with the source of infection, of said contagious, infectious or communicable diseases. In such cases, the director shall, when he determines it necessary to assure compliance with his quarantine or isolation regulations or orders, post guards on or adjacent to the premises where a contagious, infectious or communicable disease exists.

(Ord. 2006-0040 § 76, 2006; Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 200, 1959.)

A.

The director may remove any person affected or reasonably suspected of being affected with a contagious, infectious or communicable disease to a suitable place of isolation or quarantine when the director deems such action necessary to protect the patient and the public health.

B.

In such instances where the patient involved may be classed as indigent according to the requirements and standards of the Los Angeles County department of public social services, removal shall be to a suitable facility which has been established and maintained for the treatment and isolation of contagious, infectious or communicable diseases by the county of Los Angeles through the department of health services directly, or by contract with other persons, bodies or institutions.

C.

In the instance of communicable disease patients other than indigents, the director shall attempt to secure isolation and treatment in private institutions having facilities which, in the opinion of the director, are adequate for proper isolation; but if such private institutions be not found available and, in his opinion, hospital isolation and care continue necessary, said nonindigent contagious person shall be committed to the director of the department of health services, who shall provide facilities in county institutions or hospitals for proper isolation and treatment.

D.

Return of such communicable disease patients from isolation in a hospital or other isolation facilities to community living shall be on authorization of the director.

(Ord. 2006-0040 § 77, 2006; Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 201, 1959.)

Any report of the existence of a contagious, infectious or communicable disease required by any physician or any other person by the provisions of the Health and Safety Code and the Regulations of the California Department of Health Services shall, in addition to the matters require to be reported by such statute or regulation, further state whether the patient or any member of the patient's household is engaged in the handling or sale of milk or other foodstuff for human consumption or is engaged in teaching or working in a school or in caring for children other than those of the patient's own immediate family.

(Ord. 2006-0040 § 78, 2006; Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 202, 1959.)

When no physician is in attendance, any dentist, practitioner, visiting nurse, private duty nurse, head of any private household, or person in charge of any institution, hotel, hospital, sanitary clinic, dispensary, boarding house, school, camp or vessel, shall report immediately to the director the name and address of any person under his charge, or in his institution or other place under his charge, with any disease which is or which he suspects or has reason to suspect as being contagious,

infectious or communicable, and shall keep such a person strictly isolated until the director orders otherwise. Any person having knowledge that another person is suffering from a disease which is, or which the first person suspects or has reason to suspect as being contagious, infectious or communicable, shall report forthwith to the local director the name and address of the diseased person and all the facts relating to the case known to him and requested by the director.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 203, 1959.)

Any physician in attendance on a person suffering from any disease which is, or which the physician suspects or has reason to suspect as being, contagious, infectious or communicable, shall submit to the director or to a laboratory approved by the California Department of Health Services for examination, such specimens required or demanded by the director for establishing the diagnosis and control of such disease.

(Ord. 2006-0040 § 79, 2006; Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 204, 1959.)

A.

Any physician who discovers a case of contagious, infectious or communicable disease shall immediately cause the patient to be isolated and to remain isolated until otherwise ordered by the director.

B.

The physician shall also advise other members of the household regarding the precautions to prevent further spread of the disease, and shall cooperate with the director in endeavoring to secure the immunization and prompt treatment of such patient and of persons who have been in contact with such patient to render them noninfectious.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 205, 1959.)

All reports and all results of examinations of persons having or suspected of having tuberculosis shall be recorded by the director in a register, which register shall not be open to inspection by any person other than the health authorities of the state and county or of any public school district.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 206, 1959.)

No person having tuberculosis or other contagious, infectious or communicable disease shall dispose of his sputum, saliva or other bodily secretion or excretion so as to cause offense or danger to any person or persons occupying the same room, apartment, house or public place. In all cases of violation of this section, the director shall take such steps as he may find necessary to protect the public health.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 207, 1959.)

No person shall interfere with or obstruct the director or his authorized representative in the posting of any placard establishing quarantine in accordance with law, in or on any place or premises, nor shall any person conceal, mutilate or remove any such placard, except by permission of the director. In the event any such placard is concealed, mutilated or torn down, the occupant of the premises whereon such placard was posted shall notify the director of such fact immediately.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 208, 1959.)

It is unlawful for any person residing or being in any place which is quarantined by the director to leave, nor shall any unauthorized person enter such place without the written consent of the director; provided, however, that the physician in attendance, any registered nurse in attendance, the clergyman, undertaker, or any member of the department of public health, in performance of their duties, may have access to the quarantined household or any persons therein under such regulations as may be adopted from time to time by the director. Any permits issued under authority of this section may be revoked upon failure to comply with the regulations governing the issuance of such permits.

(Ord. 2006-0040 § 80, 2006; Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 209, 1959.)

A.

It shall be the duty of the principal or other person in charge of any public, private, parochial, Sunday, kindergarten or boarding school, or day nursery, to exclude therefrom any child or other person with an infectious, contagious or communicable disease, or a disease such principal or other person suspects or has reason to suspect as being contagious, infectious or communicable. If the attending physician, school physician or director finds, upon examination, that the person is not suffering from a contagious, infectious or communicable disease, he may submit a certificate to this effect to the school authority, who may readmit the person.

B.

In addition, the principal or other person shall exclude from attendance at school, and shall notify the director of said action taken, all children affected with the following named diseases: impetigo contagiosa, pediculosis, ringworm, scabies and Vincent's infection. The director shall prescribe conditions under which children with such diseases may attend school.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 210, 1959.)

A.

No instructor, teacher, pupil or child who resides where any contagious, infectious or communicable disease exists, or has recently existed, which is subject to strict isolation or quarantine of contacts, shall be permitted by any superintendent, principal or teacher of any college, seminary, public or private school, or day nursery, to attend the college, seminary, school or nursery, except by the written permission of the director.

B.

Pupils or school or nursery employees who have been ill from any other contagious, infectious or communicable disease may be readmitted only by written permission signed by the attending physician, the school physician, or the director or his authorized agent.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 211, 1959.)

In cases of doubt or disputed diagnosis, or where uncertainty exists as to the exact nature of a suspected case of contagious, infectious or communicable disease, the director shall enforce the control measures provided for the disease. Whenever a case of unrecognized illness shall be reported to the director, which upon investigation presents symptoms of a contagious, infectious or communicable disease, but in which, in the judgment of the director, sufficient time has not elapsed to render a positive diagnosis possible, the director shall establish the control measures applicable in actual cases of contagious, infectious or communicable disease until such time as positive diagnosis can be established.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 212, 1959.)

A.

Whenever a person or animal or other thing is discovered to be affected by or infected with a contagious, infectious or communicable disease, upon demand of the director, the owner or person in charge of the house containing said person, animal or thing shall cause the house, building or premises, and all articles therein which might harbor germs or viruses, or carriers thereof, to be disinfected, deloused, renovated, cleaned or fumigated, as required by and under the supervision of the director.

B.

Upon the termination of any case of contagious, infectious or communicable disease by death or recovery of the patient, or on removal of the patient from the house or other place in which the patient had been staying during the course of the disease, the director shall make a determination of the means necessary to render noninfectious the house or other place occupied by the patient during the course of the disease. The director may order any person owning, or having any interest in said house or other place, to clean the premises according to specifications of the director, and said person owning or having interest in said property shall obey all further orders of the director that may be determined by the director in his sole discretion to be necessary to destroy the vitality of pathogenic microorganisms or viruses on such premises.

C.

Whenever quarantine is established by the director for any contagious, infectious or communicable disease, he shall instruct all persons on the quarantined premises in the steps necessary to prevent the spread of the disease through infectious discharge, and such persons shall follow and obey such instructions. In the case of the louse-borne diseases, the director shall take such measures as may be necessary to delouse all infected persons who have been in contact with the infected person on the quarantined premises, and also such persons shall obey the orders of the director relating to said delousing program.

D.

Whenever the director, in his sole discretion, finds that an emergency exists requiring immediate action for the protection of public health, he shall proceed to render any infected house, building or premises free from the danger of the spread of contagious, infectious or communicable disease; if, in the opinion of the director, it is necessary to destroy any clothing or bedding or other articles to prevent the spread of contagious, infectious or communicable disease, the same shall be destroyed by the director.

E.

Whenever the director finds any premises to be infested with vermin or rats, or to be in such insanitary condition, as in his opinion to require fumigation or renovation, the director shall serve notice of such conditions on the owner or his agent, or tenant of such premises, and the owner, agent or tenant shall fumigate or renovate such premises as directed by the director.

F.

No person shall remove any article of clothing or bedding, or any other article by which the germs of disease may be carried, from any house, building or premises in which there is or has been a case of contagious, infectious or communicable disease, until such articles have been thoroughly disinfected and the permission of the director obtained for such removal.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 213, 1959.)

Upon specific order of the director, a person or persons who have attended upon or otherwise come in contact with a case of communicable disease in such manner or to such extent as to render him or her liable to contract such disease or to communicate it to others, shall refrain from going into a public place of assembly and shall not mingle with other persons not affected with such disease. The director may, when it is necessary, cause any person so exposed to be quarantined until the danger of such person's having or communicating such communicable disease has passed.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 214, 1959.)

No undertaker or embalmer shall begin the actual embalming of any body in which the cause of death is, or in which he suspects or has reason to suspect the cause of death as being, a contagious, infectious or communicable disease, until authorized by the director. If the case has not been previously reported to the director, the undertaker or embalmer shall immediately report to the director the name and address of the deceased person, and all facts relating to the cause of death known to said undertaker or embalmer.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 215, 1959.)

It is unlawful for any funeral director or other person to use, or cause or permit to be used, any vehicle other than a hearse or mortuary car for the conveyance of the body of any person dead of a contagious, infectious or communicable disease, except when said person dies while being transported in a vehicle, unless said body shall have been prepared for burial and encased in a sound casket and enclosed in a transportation case.

(Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 216, 1959.)

For every burial permit issued pursuant to the Health and Safety Code, the applicant shall pay to the director, and the director shall collect the fee authorized pursuant to Health and Safety Code section 100430, except that no fee shall be charged for a burial permit of a person who died while in any branch of the armed forces during time of war.

(Ord. 2006-0040 § 81, 2006; Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 217, 1959.)

No person shall enter, be or remain upon the premises of any tuberculosis sanitarium while in possession of any alcoholic beverages, including beer and wine, in excess of a single dose prescribed by the sanitarium physician.

(Ord. 10728 § 2 (part), 1973; Ord. 7583 Part 2 § 228, 1959.)

A.

It is unlawful for any person to use, sell, offer for sale or otherwise furnish to any other person any alkyl nitrite product, as defined herein.

B.

"Alkyl nitrite" means any volatile alkyl nitrite compound including, but not limited to, amyl nitrite, butyl nitrite, and isobutyl nitrite.

C.

"Alkyl nitrite product" means all products of any kind containing an alkyl nitrite in a form and amount which makes possible the introduction of an alkyl nitrite into the human body through any means including, but not limited to, injecting, ingesting or inhaling.

D.

As used in this section, the use of an alkyl nitrite product shall mean to inhale, inject, or otherwise introduce into the human body an alkyl nitrite product, unless done pursuant to a course of treatment prescribed or administered by a physician, dentist or podiatrist.

E.

The prohibition contained in subsection A of this section shall not apply to the sale, offering for sale, or furnishing of any alkyl nitrite product by:

A pharmacist to a physician, dentist, podiatrist, veterinarian or to any other person possessing a prescription issued by a physician, dentist, podiatrist or veterinarian for such a product;

A physician, dentist, podiatrist or veterinarian to his or her patients; or

A manufacturer or wholesaler of alkyl nitrite products to a pharmacist, physician, dentist, podiatrist or veterinarian.

(Ord. 86-0173 § 1, 1986.)