Hagel Orders 21-Day Quarantine for All Military Personnel Returning from West Africa
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US Senate(WASHINGTON) — Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on Wednesday agreed to a 21-day quarantine for all military personnel returning from Ebola response efforts in West Africa.
A similar quarantine mandate had been implemented by Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno. Hagel requested an implementation plan for the quarantine for all members of the U.S military fighting Ebola at the source, even those who don’t come in direct contact with Ebola patients, be presented to him within 15 days.
That plan will be reviewed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 45 days to determine whether the monitoring should continue.
Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, noted that the Department of Defense has “the largest and youngest population of Americans responding to Ebola in West Africa and, although our mission does not involve direct patient care, our service members are performing duties in an environment where there is an ongoing epidemic.”
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