Man who could miss brother's funeral while in quarantine taking Public Health to court

From Quarantine to the courthouse. A man who came back to Guam to attend his younger brother's funeral is taking Public Health to court so he can be released to attend the service on Saturday.

Rob Barcinas Shawl, an active-duty airman who was stationed in New Mexico, had a negative COVID test as per Public health guidelines. But Shawl was forced into quarantine after a COVID positive passenger was found on his flight in from Hawaii. All 92 travelers were placed in quarantine, and while some have been released, Shawl said he was told he was a high risk because he sat within three rows of the positive case. He was then told he could test out in a couple of days but that was over a week ago.

"It's now day eight of me being in here and they have denied us the testing for the 24-48 hours," Shawl said. "I then contacted public health and asked them what about the 7-day option that is clearly laid out in their protocol that they have shown everybody and they have denied me that as well. They labeled us as high-risk personnel they've denied us testing, they don't want to test us until day 12 to determine if we're COVID positive or not."

Shawl told KUAM's "The Link" that public health presented him with options - none of which were allowing him to test out to be released and bury his brother.

"They gave me two options for my family - it's either A - they push the funeral back or B they set up a zoom call so that I can attend the funeral because we're 'not going anywhere' is what they told me," he said. 

Meanwhile, attorney Tom Fisher has filed an emergency writ with the Superior Court demanding that public health show why they're holding of Shawl is legal. If the department can't do that, Fisher is asking for Shawl to be released in time to attend his brother's funeral on Saturday.