Lawmaker urges for more to be done on Ebola
Lawmaker urges for more to be done on Ebola
SHELBYVILLE, Ind.--While federal government officials and officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to address the Ebola issue, a lawmaker who represents Shelby County said more should be done.
U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, who represents Shelby County in the 6th Congressional District, urged Ebola Czar Ron Klain to help lead the effort to combat Ebola immediately.
“We all know the old saying ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ There are steps we could be taking right now to prevent the spread of Ebola before it becomes a widespread health care crisis in the U.S.,” Messer said in a press release issued by his staff.
Messer joins U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, R-Indiana, as urging for more to be done. Brooks, who hails from Carmel and chairs a House panel on emergency preparedness, urged the CDC to block people from flying for at least three weeks if they’re a health care worker who has treated an Ebola patient.
In a letter to the CDC, Brooks wrote, “Given the deadly nature of this virus and its long incubation period, the Do Not Board list can serve as an added layer to protect public health and prevent a tragic situation from becoming much worse.”
Messer called on the Obama administration to implement the following: issue a temporary travel ban into the U.S. from countries where Ebola is widespread and temporarily stop issuing visas to travelers from West African nations.
“I’m mindful of the concerns about banning travel from West African nations. But until we have demonstrated the capacity to contain Ebola in this country, we shouldn’t continue to allow unfettered travel between West Africa and the United States,” Messer said.
CDC Director Tom Frieden told the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee last week that the Obama administration has not ruled out imposing restrictions on travel to and from West Africa to protect Americans from the disease.
Messer has asked for a requirement for American Ebola patients to be treated at designated high-risk facilities and require the CDC to develop a contingency plan in the event of a widespread Ebola outbreak in the U.S.; Require mandatory monitoring of all individuals traveling from West Africa to the U.S. and an expansion of airport screenings of international flights at additional U.S. airports.
Once the protocols are in place, any travel or visa bans could be lifted, according to Messer.
“These protocols won’t be cheap, but America must provide whatever resources and funding is necessary to ensure we stop this deadly virus. Ebola is not only a national security threat; it is a threat to the world community that has to be stopped at its source,” Messer said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Paul Gable is the editor of The Shelbyville News. Follow Gable on Twitter @PaulGableTSN.
