The Yellow Jack ("''Quebec''") signal flag, is a plain yellow banner that was historically used to signify a vessel was, or might be, harboring a dangerous disease and needed to be quarantined (the flag represents the letter “Q”). Later the flag came to mean the opposite, signaling: "My vessel is healthy and I request free pratique". A ship flying two Quebecs ("QQ"), or "Double Quebec", is signaling: "I require health clearance". In both cases, if and when free pratique is granted, the vessel may lower the Quebec(s), raise the national ensign of the port, and do business there. In the event that, for health reasons, the vessel is not granted free pratique, it continues to fly the Quebec, in effect indicating that it is in quarantine until such time as any health concern is resolved. In

international maritime signal flags International maritime signal flags are various flags used to communicate with ships. The principal system of flags and associated codes is the International Code of Signals. Various navies have flag systems with additional flags and codes, and ...

, plain yellow, green, and black flags have been used to symbolize disease in ships and ports. The color yellow has a longer history. It was used to mark houses of infection prior to its maritime use. Yellow jack also became a name for

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. ...

Cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium '' Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting an ...

-infected ships also used a yellow flag. The plain yellow flag ("Q" or "Quebec" in international maritime signal flags), may derive its letter symbol from its initial use in "quarantine" In cities such as

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital city, capital and list of Indonesian cities by population, largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coa ...

, plain yellow flags are commonly used to mark a recent death, regardless of cause. They are placed in intersections leading to the home of the recently deceased as direction markers for mourners, and to mark the funeral convoy, so that it is given the

right of way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...

References

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External links

The Yellow Flag of Quarantine
International flags Maritime flags Quarantine facilities Signal flags Flag, yellow (contagion)

See also

References

External links