The Obama administration is pushing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) to end the mandatory quarantines for health care workers returning from treating Ebola patients in West Africa, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
According to the Times, the White House has been in contact with the governors since they announced the new policy Friday evening.
A senior administration official told the Times that the governor’s decision to impose the quarantines was “uncoordinated, very hurried, an immediate reaction to the New York City case that doesn’t comport with science.”
Both Cuomo and Christie have stood by their decision, however.
“I think this is a policy that will become a national policy sooner rather than later,” Christie said on “Fox News Sunday.” “We have taken this action, and I have no second thoughts about it.”
Clearly these quarantines were prompted by political as opposed to public health considerations. I’d expect nothing else from Christie, and Cuomo disappoints once again. But Quinn’s similar decision in Illinois, not mentioned in the article, really surprises me.
And good luck getting people to volunteer to help out at Ebola’s ground zero if they think that they’ll be locked up upon return regardless of symptoms.
I could understand a 72-hour evaluation period for symptoms and blood-test for actual exposure. It wouldn’t even have to be a strict quarantine so much as an elevated observation period.
But, 21-day lockdown is fucking batshit insanity. It accomplishes exactly nothing … other than sending a message to everyone that the last thing they had better do is to volunteer or allow themselves to be sent to work on the problem.
And, these assholes are so fucking stupid and ignorant on the topic that they are doubling down on it. Where is the leadership? How did such grossly incompetent fuckwits get into such positions of power? This is nothing more than stampeding panic, the same God damned show that we saw from Bush & Cheney on 9-11.
I have searched the internet and I cannot find a single scientific paper that says that ebola cannot be transmitted via broadband. So, since this seems to be the type of scientific proof that the governors find persuasive, and they believe that they should do everything within their power to protect their people… I am sure it is only a matter of hours before they shut down the internet in NY and NJ.
This is really courageous, 10 days before an election that looks tough for the President’s party, with Mr. Obama’s approval ratings low. Christie and Cuomo (and now Rick (the self-admitted thief) Scott has joined in) are playing to the gallery and it’s good to see an adult in the room who’s willing to stand up.
Don’t hold back–tell us what you really think.