Law
The Constitutional Limits on Emergency Powers in Public Health Crises
Quick fact
During the 1901 bubonic plague outbreak in San Francisco, quarantines of Chinatown were declared unconstitutional because they were discriminatory, setting a precedent that public health measures must treat all people equally.
Why this is interesting
When a deadly disease spreads, the government can order you to stay home, wear a mask, or get vaccinated. But does the Constitution place any real limits on what the government can do?