Whenever the director shall declare that any malignant, infectious or contagious disease is or may become epidemic in the city, or any part thereof, he shall immediately, or as soon thereafter as possible, give notice to that effect to the citizens of the city and the country surrounding the same, and shall also give notice of the rules and regulations adopted by him for the enforcement of quarantine within the city or portion thereof. He shall take such steps and adopt such measures as he may deem necessary to prevent the introduction and spreading of such disease, and to this end he shall have power to quarantine the city against persons coming into or leaving the city during the continuation of such epidemic. Whenever he shall deem it necessary, he shall have the power to forbid and prevent the assembling of congregations of persons within the city and to order and enforce the closing of places of business and amusements.

(Code 1964, § 10.210)