WASHINGTON — A Tacoma woman with tuberculosis will be arrested Friday for treatment if she doesn’t voluntarily take medication or comply with a court order to remain in isolation.
According to KOMO News, the woman has been avoiding treatment or isolation for TB for over a year.
A woman who was under an involuntary order to take medication for TB did not complete her treatment.
The health department has issued several court orders over the past year in an effort to get the woman treated.
Another court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
KOMO News reports:
A Tacoma woman who has avoided treatment or isolation for tuberculosis (TB) for more than a year will be arrested Friday and placed in isolation for treatment unless she voluntarily complies.
On Feb. 24, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department went before Judge Philip Sorenson for the 16th time to try to comply with the judge’s order that the woman resume taking her medication or voluntarily isolate herself.
The woman was under an order of involuntary separation from December 25, 2022 to February 8, 2023. In the order, health officials said the woman had started treatment. However, she left before the treatment was completed.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the treatment process can take three to nine months. People who stop treatment early can also develop antibiotic resistance.
The woman will now be arrested on Friday after a civil warrant was issued for Sorenson’s arrest. She will be taken to a specially designated facility at the Pierce County Jail for isolation, testing and treatment, the health department said.
However, if the woman complies before Friday, the health department said they can ask the court to withdraw the arrest warrant. Another court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.