Quarantine (shipping)

The international maritime signal for the letter "L" is used as the quarantine flag

A Quarantine is a restraint placed on an operation to protect the public against a health hazard. The term "quarantine" comes from the Italian word for "forty," referring to the forty-day period ships were forced to wait in ports during the Black Death. A ship may be quarantined so that it cannot leave a protected point. During the quarantine period, the quarantine flag is hoisted.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration