Public Health Act (C.C.S.M. c. P210).

This Act consisting of 124 articles divided in 14 Parts, aims at enabling the delivery of public health services to protect and promote the health and well-being of the people. The main authority is the Ministry of Health, whose Minister has the following main powers (i) establish public health goals; (ii) establish guidelines and standards for public health services; (iii) monitor the delivery of public health services; (iv) promote the integration of the public health services and policies under this Act with the services and policies of other government departments; and (v) inquire into the causes of diseases, ill health, injuries and death, and determine steps that might be taken to reduce them.
Public health advisories may be issued by a medical officer who reasonably believes that there is or might be a threat to public health. A health hazard order may be issued by a medical officer if a health hazard exists or might exist and he belives necessary to prevent, eliminate, remedy, reduce or otherwise deal with it. Instead a health hazard order may be made by an inspector when a health hazard exists or might exist (i) in relation to a food handling establishment, a swimming pool or other water recreational facility, or any other prescribed place, premises or activity; (ii) failure or suspected failure to comply with a regulation made under this Act; (iii) failure or suspected failure to comply with a term or condition of a licence, permit, approval or other authorization issued under this Act, or (iv) failure or suspected failure to comply with a municipal by-law, or with a licence, permit, approval or other authorization issued under a municipal by-law. The content of these orders may concern, among others (i) monitor an activity, condition or process, carry out tests, examinations or analyses; (ii) either isolate, hold, contain, remove or destroy a plant, animal or other organism, or refrain from using it; (iii) reduce the number of animals or other organisms that might transmit a communicable disease; (iv) quarantine a place, premises, or animal; (v) construct, excavate, install, modify, replace, remove, reconstruct or do any other work in relation to a place or premises, or a thing; and (vi) clean or disinfect a place, premises or thing.
Health hazard emergency can be declared by an inspector, or a medical officer, when (i) a health hazard exists or might exist that presents a serious and immediate threat to public health; and (ii) immediate action is necessary to prevent, eliminate, remedy, reduce or otherwise deal with it, and an order made under this section may not be appealed. In such cases, Communicable disease order can be issued directed to (i) individuals; and (ii) professionals and facilities. If a person fails to comply with an order, a medical officer may apply to a justice for an order to apprehend the person.