NELSON COUNTY, KY. (THECOUNT) — A Kentucky coronavirus patient who checked himself out of the hospital against medical advice, is now under a “forced isolation” at his Nelson County home after refusing to quarantine himself.

In an effort to prevent the man from spreading the virus, at least 20 officials have surrounded his house to keep him in place.

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The unidentified 53-year-old man refused to quarantine himself after testing positive for Covid-19, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.

Nelson County officials “forced an isolation” on the man, one of the first 20 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the state, reports FOX59.

“It’s a step I hoped that I’d never have to take,” Beshear said in a conference on Saturday. “But I can’t allow one person who we know has this virus to refuse to protect their neighbors.”

Beshear didn’t share then how the government had forced the unnamed man to stay in his home.

Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts told CNN affiliate WDRB the measure was necessary to keep the community safe.

“This is about us, not about ‘I,’” Watts said. “So quarantine is a must. If we have to, we’ll do it by force.”

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Geo quick facts: Nelson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2010 census, the population was 43,437. Its county seat is Bardstown – Wikipedia.