Obama Hints at Travel Screening to Stop Spread of Ebola; Aides Walk Comment Back
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Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) — As the Ebola scare continues, President Obama says the administration is, “going to be working on protocols to do additional passenger screening both at the source and here in the United States.”
But soon after he made those comments in the Oval Office, White House aides sought to downplay their significance, saying the remark was in line with what officials said Friday, that additional screening measures remain under discussion but that no decisions have been made.
They could offer no additional details on the draft protocols to which Obama referred.
Obama acknowledged Americans’ concern about Ebola — calling it “a very serious disease” — but asserted “the chances of an Ebola outbreak in the United States is extremely low.”
“Procedures are now in place to rapidly evaluate anybody who may be showing symptoms,” Obama said. He cited the response at Newark Liberty International Airport over the weekend as an example.
“In recent months we’ve had thousands of travelers from West Africa, but only had one come down with disease.”
The president said the “lessons learned” from the case of Thomas Eric Duncan, the Ebola patient in critical condition in a Dallas hospital, is the importance of getting the word out to hospitals, clinics and health workers on, “what to look out for and to follow protocols strictly.” Hospital employees released Duncan back into the population, even after he allegedly revealed his symptoms and travel history.
“The key here is just to make sure that each step along the way, whether it’s a hospital admissions desk, the doctors, nurses, public health officials, that everybody has the right information. If they have the right information and are following those protocols then this is something that we’re going to be able to make sure that won’t have the impact here in the us that we’re worried about.”
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