Cuomo, Christie understand we're better safe than sorry

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Our local governors are faced with a challenge they never dreamed of: infectious disease. Ebola is no longer just running rampant in West Africa. It has made its way to New York City.

Dr. Craig Spencer, a Doctors Without Borders volunteer, came back from a trip to Africa on which he treated Ebola patients and tested positive for the deadly disease. He was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he and his girlfriend were quarantined. Investigators retraced the couple’s steps and discovered that Spencer had used an Uber car, rode the subway, walked the High Line, ate at a restaurant and even went to a popular bowling and music venue.

Spencer made no attempt to isolate himself, and therefore put the people of New York at risk. He landed at JFK Airport after spending a month treating Ebola patients. In accordance with the new screening protocols, officials at the airport checked his temperature upon arrival, and it was normal. However, victims of the Ebola virus may not show symptoms for up to 21 days.

This should be a wake-up call for everyone. Given Spencer’s ethical responsibility as a doctor, he was completely irresponsible with his own health, thus putting an entire city at risk. Shame on him. If we can’t trust the medical community to do the right thing, who are we kidding?

I applaud Governors Christie and Cuomo for setting what I hope will become the national standard in the fight to contain and protect American citizens from the infectious disease. The two governors held a joint press conference and announced a mandatory 21-day quarantine for any medical workers arriving from West Africa after having contact with an Ebola patient. “The steps New York and New Jersey are taking today will strengthen our safeguards to protect our residents against this disease,” Cuomo said, “and help ensure those that may be infected by Ebola are treated with the highest precautions.”

Shortly after the announcement, Kaci Hickox, a health care worker who recently came back from treating Ebola patients, was the first to be subjected to the new Ebola order. Upon arrival, Hickox was discharged from Newark’s University Hospital and transported to Maine via a private carrier.

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