News Digest

US Army, governors heighten Ebola precautions despite science

Governors of the US states of New York and New Jersey are standing by their intensified Ebola precautions, even after a 5-year-old boy who arrived from Guinea almost two days ago tested negative for Ebola in New York, and a nurse held in quarantine in New Jersey was released after displaying no symptoms. Nurse Kaci Hickox condemned New Jersey’s hospital Ebola quarantine policy. She was held after arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday after treating Ebola patients in West Africa. The US Army has also started isolating soldiers returning from an Ebola response mission in West Africa in Italy, even though they showed no symptoms of infection and there was no incident signaling potential exposure. The decision goes well beyond previously established military protocols.

There was no single triggering event. This is really a decision that’s made out of an abundance of caution.

Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman

The mandatory quarantine policies put in place Friday by the governors of New York and New Jersey have been criticized amid concern that they may discourage health care workers from traveling to West Africa to help in the fight against Ebola. The virus has killed nearly 5,000 people in West Africa, where Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea have been hardest hit.

I have a much greater, bigger responsibility to the people of the public. So, I think when she has time to reflect, she’ll understand that as well.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on quarantining nurse Kaci Hickox