President Obama Says He’s Open to Appointing an Ebola Czar

Official White House Photo by Pete Souza(WASHINGTON) —  President Obama said he is open to appointing what would essentially be an Ebola czar to deal with the ongoing situation with the deadly disease in the U.S.

“It may be appropriate for me to appoint an additional person” to be the point person, the president told reporters at the White House after meeting with his Ebola response team for nearly two hours, as new information continued to develop about how health care workers at a Dallas hospital may not have been given proper training and equipment to deal with an Ebola patient there.

However, a travel ban is not the way to go, the president said. He doesn’t have a philosophical objection, but he said that a travel ban is less effective than screening. Implementing a travel ban may actually backfire by prompting travelers to hide their travel history, Obama said.

The president also said he spoke with Gov. Rick Perry of Texas and Gov. John Kasich of Ohio on Thursday about the Ebola situation.

“When we have tight protocols with respect to the treatment of patients, our health care workers remain safe,” Obama said.

“I understand that people are worried. This is a disease that is new to our shores,” Obama said. But he noted that the disease’s spread has been limited right now, and that Ebola is a “very difficult disease to catch.”

“We are taking this very seriously at the highest levels, including me,” Obama said.

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