Masks Required For Hearing on TB Patient

The conference room of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District will become a courtroom on Friday, April 11th, and all attending will be required to wear masks to avoid infection. A Champaign County judge will consider a request from health officials to enforce a quarantine places on an allegedly uncooperative TB patient.

Ordered to appear at the hearing is Christian Ibanda of Champaign, who’s been diagnosed with infectious tuberculosis. Public Health District Administrator Julie Pryde says Ibanda has been told to isolate himself, leaving his apartment only for emergencies and doctor’s appointments --- and then only when wearing a mask.

“And unfortunately in this situation, the person is not cooperating with the recommended isolation and treatment and followup", said Pryde. "Therefore, I’m really at the point that my hands are kinds of tied. There’s nothing else I can do.”

Pryde says Ibanda has both gone outside, and allowed visitors inside, while failing to wear the mask. At Friday’s hearing, the Public Health District will ask Associate Judge Chase Leonhard (Leonard) to order Ibanda to wear a GPS ankle bracelet, so authorities can keep track of his whereabouts. She says that’s what was done with the last recorded case of an uncooperative TB patient in Champaign County, in 2009.

Pryde says Champaign County sees perhaps eight to ten cases of infectious tuberculosis each year, but that almost all patients cooperate in their treatment and isolation.