Controversy Erupts Over Hantavirus Quarantine Enforcement

WHO:

Newsweek - Angela Perryman, a 47-year-old woman from Florida, is one of 18 passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship who were exposed to hantavirus.

CNN - Dr. Michael Bell, a quarantine medical reviewer with the CDC, provided expert testimony during the medical review.

The Seattle Times - Angela Perryman is one of 10 passengers still in Omaha, but the only one being held against her will.

Newsweek - Angela Perryman is one of 18 passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship who were exposed to hantavirus.

The Seattle Times - Dr. Christopher Braden and Dr. David Fitter provided expert testimony during the medical review.

CNN - Angela Perryman expressed that she feels like she is “in prison” and that the health system has used her as “a prop and a political stunt.”

CNN - Steven Hyman is Perryman’s lawyer.

Newsweek - Angela Perryman, a 47-year-old woman from Florida, is the individual exposed to hantavirus.

The Seattle Times - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed the order to continue Perryman's quarantine.

The Seattle Times - Dr. Michael Bell is the CDC’s quarantine medical reviewer involved in the case.

WHAT:

The Seattle Times - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an order to continue quarantining Angela Perryman, despite her testing negative for the virus and showing no symptoms.

Yahoo - The remaining passengers at the quarantine unit will leave Nebraska on June 22, marking the end of the 42-day monitoring period that began following their return to the United States on May 10.

The Seattle Times - Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an order to continue quarantining Angela Perryman, despite her testing negative for the virus and showing no symptoms.

CNN - Florida proposed once-daily telehealth monitoring as an alternative to the federal government's requirements for continuous monitoring.

The Seattle Times - Dr. Michael Bell recommended that Perryman be allowed to return home for the remainder of her 42-day quarantine, with remote symptom monitoring once daily and access to 24-hour help.

CNN - Kennedy's order to continue the quarantine for Perryman was issued despite her testing negative for the virus and showing no symptoms.

The Seattle Times - The order by Kennedy to keep Perryman in Omaha “flies in the face of the findings of the medical reviewer,” according to Hyman.

CNN - The initial federal quarantine period for Perryman was set to end May 31, but it was later extended by the CDC through June 21.

Newsweek - Perryman remains at a quarantine facility in Nebraska despite a CDC recommendation for her release.

The Seattle Times - A medical review recommended that Perryman be allowed to return home for the remainder of her 42-day quarantine.

The Seattle Times - Three people died and several others were sickened during a hantavirus outbreak linked to a cruise ship.

WHERE:

Newsweek - The quarantine facility is located in Nebraska.

The Seattle Times - The National Quarantine Unit is in Omaha, Nebraska.

WHEN:

The Seattle Times - The passengers were flown back to the United States on May 11.

The Seattle Times - Passengers were initially set to return to their states but were ordered to remain in Omaha at least until May 31.

The Seattle Times - Some passengers were allowed to quarantine at home until June 22, or 42 days.

WHY:

ABC News Health - Kennedy's order stated that the federal quarantine remains in effect for Perryman to protect public health, despite the CDC's recommendation for her release.

CNN - Perryman stated, “At this point, it’s just a state-federal spat, and I’m just a hostage.”

The Seattle Times - Perryman expressed that the quarantine order feels like "obvious malice and retaliation."

CNN - Perryman stated she feels like she is “in prison” and that the health system has used her as “a prop and a political stunt.”

CNN - Perryman stated she has completely lost trust in doctors, public health, and the CDC due to too many rescinded promises.

The Seattle Times - Perryman expressed that the quarantine order feels like "obvious malice and retaliation."

The Seattle Times - Florida refused to comply with the administration’s requirements for Perryman to quarantine there.

HOW:

CNN - At the quarantine unit in Nebraska, staff check temperatures twice a day and deliver meals while wearing full personal protective equipment.

The Seattle Times - At the Omaha facility, Perryman can request access to a rooftop for about an hour each day, monitored by armed guards.

CNN - At the quarantine unit in Nebraska, staff check temperatures twice a day and deliver meals while wearing full personal protective equipment.

The Seattle Times - At the Omaha facility, officials take Perryman’s temperature twice a day and provide her with food on request.

The Seattle Times - Perryman can request access to a rooftop for about an hour each day, monitored by armed guards.

(UPDATED June 17, 2026 14:13 UTC)

Angela Perryman, a 47-year-old woman from Florida, is one of 18 passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship who were exposed to hantavirus, and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signed an order to continue her quarantine despite her negative test results and lack of symptoms. The remaining passengers at the quarantine unit in Nebraska are set to leave on June 22, marking the end of their 42-day monitoring period that began after their return to the United States on May 10. At the quarantine facility, staff are diligently checking temperatures twice a day and delivering meals while wearing full personal protective equipment to ensure safety.

(UPDATED June 17, 2026 06:41 UTC)

Angela Perryman is currently one of ten passengers in Omaha, but she is the only one being held against her will after Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an order to continue her quarantine, despite her testing negative for the virus and showing no symptoms. Perryman described her situation as a "state-federal spat," stating, “I’m just a hostage.” While at the Omaha facility, she is allowed to request access to a rooftop for about an hour each day, but her movements are monitored by armed guards.

(UPDATED June 17, 2026 01:48 UTC)

Angela Perryman is one of 18 passengers from the MV Hondius cruise ship who were exposed to hantavirus, and despite testing negative and showing no symptoms, she has been ordered to continue her quarantine. Dr. Michael Bell recommended that she be allowed to return home for the remainder of her 42-day quarantine, with daily remote symptom monitoring and access to 24-hour help, but this was overridden by Kennedy's order. Perryman has expressed that the quarantine feels like "obvious malice and retaliation," stating she feels like she is “in prison” and that the health system has used her as “a prop and a political stunt,” while at the Omaha facility, she can request access to a rooftop for about an hour each day, monitored by armed guards.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 23:27 UTC)

Angela Perryman, who feels trapped and believes the health system has used her as a political prop, is represented by her lawyer Steven Hyman. Hyman criticized the order by Kennedy to keep Perryman in Omaha, stating it contradicts the findings of the medical reviewer, while the CDC has extended her federal quarantine period until June 21. Perryman has expressed a complete loss of trust in doctors and public health authorities due to numerous broken promises, as staff at the quarantine unit in Nebraska monitor her health and deliver meals while fully suited in personal protective equipment.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 20:14 UTC)

Angela Perryman, a 47-year-old woman from Florida, is currently in quarantine at a facility in Omaha, Nebraska, after being exposed to hantavirus, despite a CDC recommendation for her release. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signed an order to continue her quarantine, even as a medical review suggested she could return home for the remainder of her 42-day isolation. Perryman has voiced her concerns about the situation, describing the quarantine order as feeling like "obvious malice and retaliation," particularly after Florida refused to comply with the administration’s requirements for her to quarantine there.