New York, New Jersey Set Up Mandatory Quarantine Requirement Amid Ebola Threat

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — In the wake of the first confirmed Ebola virus case in New York City, the states of New York and New Jersey have set up a new screening system that goes above and beyond the guidelines already set up by federal officials.

As CBS 2’s Alice Gainer reported, no other states have yet set up increased screening procedures for Ebola.
“We believe it’s appropriate to Increase the current screening procedures from people coming from affected countries from the current (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention screening procedures),” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday afternoon. “We believe it within the State of New York and the State of New Jersey’s Legal rights.”

Under the new rules, state officials will establish a risk level by considering the countries that people have visited and their level of possible exposure to Ebola.

The patients with the highest level of possible exposure will be automatically quarantined for 21 days at a government-regulated facility. As WCBS 880’s Rich Lamb reported, those patients include ANYONE having direct contact with a person infected with Ebola while in Liberia, Guinea, or Sierra Leone.
Those with a lower risk will be monitored for temperature and symptoms, Cuomo explained.

The New York and New Jersey health departments will determine their Own specific procedures for hospitalization and quarantine, and will provide a daily recap to state officials on the status of screening, New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said at the news conference.

The new procedures already have been put into use at Newark Liberty International Airport.
On Friday, a health care worker landed at Newark after treating Ebola patients in West Africa, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said at the news conference. A legal quarantine was issued for the woman, who was not a New Jersey resident and was set to go on to New York afterward.
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mbig said:

Not waiting for Obama or CDC, NY and NJ are saying THEY can Quarantine anyone they feel is a danger due to exposure.. even without a Fever.
NJ already Quarantined someone flying into Newark today.

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New York, New Jersey and Connecticut instituted Involuntary 21-day quarantines Friday on health-care workers returning from West Africa, stoking a debate over how to prevent the spread of Ebola without impeding humanitarian aid to the stricken region.

The move, which followed Thursday’s diagnosis of Ebola in a New York City doctor who came home recently from Guinea, was put into effect immediately: a health-care worker returning from West Africa on Friday was stopped at Newark Liberty International Airport and put under quarantine order, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said. The unidentified woman, who worked with Doctors Without Borders and had treated Ebola patients in Africa, had no symptoms when she arrived, but later developed a fever, officials said. She was placed in isolation at Newark’s University Hospital, the New Jersey medical center designated as a treatment facility for potential Ebola patients.

The states’ quarantines mark a more aggressive tack than the Obama administration, which said Friday it was reviewing Ebola quarantine protocols while also reassuring the public that the risk of contracting the virus was still extremely low.

A senior administration official said that prior to the states’ announcement, the administration had been looking carefully at policies pertaining to the return of health-care workers from West Africa. “In determining the right approach, we have put the health and safety of Americans first and foremost, and our deliberations have been informed by our most knowledgeable and experienced public health and Homeland Security professionals,” the official said. The administration won’t hesitate to take action that has the potential to fortify the U.S. against additional Ebola cases, the official said. “At the same time, we must do so in a manner that is coordinated and that minimizes any unintended consequences, including those that would hinder our ability to eliminate this threat at its source in West Africa,” the official said.

Some lawmakers, meanwhile, called for such a mandatory quarantine and also for more clearly defined protocols for military personnel returning from Ebola-stricken countries...
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SmokeAndMirrors said:

Good. The federal guidelines obviously aren't doing jack, and they have a huge and tightly packed population to protect.

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Ontologuy said:

Yes, the decision by these states to quarantine healthcare workers in inadequately protected West Africa who return here is, clearly, without any rational conjecture, a smart response to the intelligent real concerns of the great majority of the American people.

It will go a long way to preventing an epidemic in America.

But, once again, it is the result of hindsight, the result of Spencer returning, mixing among the populous, placing many American citizens at risk.

It would be really nice if some of these obviously intelligent measures could be enacted from foresight, before the otherwise inevitable epidemic-causing risk (like Spencer) actually occurs.

When the great majority of Americans want specific response (91% polled wanted such a response), those in political authority would do well to listen and comply up front.

It's the democratic thing to do as well.

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donsutherland1 said:

It should be noted that there are some concerns about the policy: Should those who treat Ebola in Africa be quarantined? - CNN.com

As stated previously, I don't think the NY-NJ policy is unreasonable. It does involve some degree of trade-offs e.g., greater temporary restrictions on certain persons based in risk exposure (with possible implications cited in the above CNN piece) in exchange for greater public confidence. Public policy entails numerous trade-offs, even when it comes to health policy.

Is the new policy optimal? Time will tell. It is reasonable, though.

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mbig said:

Not waiting for Obama or CDC, NY and NJ are saying THEY can Quarantine anyone they feel is a danger due to exposure.. even without a Fever.
NJ already Quarantined someone flying into Newark today.
Bravo Guvs!

New York, New Jersey Set Up Mandatory Quarantine Requirement Amid Ebola Threat
Christie: New Policy Has Already Been Used At Newark Liberty International Airport
October 24, 2014 6:23 PM
New York, New Jersey Set Up Quarantine Requirement Amid Ebola Threat « CBS New York

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A 21-day quarantine is mandatory for anyone who had direct contact with an Ebola patient in Sierra Leone, Guinea or Liberia

People in Illinois who have had direct contact with an Ebola patient in certain African countries must now undergo a quarantine for 21 days.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed an order on Friday that affects medical workers and other “high-risk” travelers who have been around Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, Guinea or Liberia, the Chicago Tribune reports.

“This protective measure is too important to be voluntary,” he said in a statement. “While we have no confirmed cases of the Ebola virus in Illinois, we will continue to take every safeguard necessary to protect first responders, health care workers and the people of Illinois.”
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