Earlier today I blogged about New York Governor Cuomo sandbagging New Jersey Governor Christie regarding the quarantines of people coming back to the USA from ebola-ravaged parts of West Africa.
But, based on the following excerpt from an article at NBC News, I may have to retract the blog\’s commendation of Governor Christie for sticking to his mandatory quarantine edict:
Thenurse forcibly quarantined in New Jersey after she came home fromtreating Ebola patients in West Africa will be released Monday, stateofficials said. Kaci Hickox has been held against her will in a tentoutside a New Jersey medical center since she was taken off a flight,flushed and distraught, Friday. Hickox has hired a lawyer and spokenout publicly against her quarantine.
“Sincetesting negative for Ebola on early Saturday morning, the patientbeing monitored in isolation at University Hospital in Newark hasthankfully been symptom free for the last 24 hours,” New Jerseyhealth department officials said in a statement. “As a result, andafter being evaluated in coordination with the CDC and the treatingclinicians at University Hospital, the patient is being discharged.”
Hickoxwill be allowed to take private transport home to Maine. “Since thepatient had direct exposure to individuals suffering from the EbolaVirus in one of the three West African nations, she is subject to amandatory New Jersey quarantine order,” the statement read.
“Healthofficials in Maine have been notified of her arrangements and willmake a determination under their own laws on her treatment when shearrives.”
Did I miss something? Isn\’t the incubation period for ebola supposed to be three weeks — which, common sense tells me, might be shorter or longer for individuals, based on their susceptibility to a virus, how their body reacts etc. (does every pregnant woman give birth in exactly nine months?).
The above excerpt suggests that Governor Christie\’s New Jersey quarantine is still in effect…but, somehow, if a person subject to the quarantine lives out of state, he/she can be monitored for a day or two and then shipped there “by private transport”, whatever that specifically means.
So what is the policy, Mr. Governor? As a resident of the state you govern, I\’d love to know for sure.
Can you give us a hint?
