Meehan Calls for Ebola Travel Ban

Statement

Congressman Patrick Meehan, a member of the House Transportation and Homeland Security committees, today issued the following statement on the federal government's response to the Ebola crisis:

"A temporary ban on travel to and from countries suffering from the Ebola epidemic is a common sense step to protect the American people," Meehan said. "The World Health Organization predicts that by December there will be five to ten thousand new Ebola cases every week in western Africa. We should take every sensible step to help isolate the outbreak while we assist these countries in battling this terrible virus. Preventing carriers of the virus from unwittingly traveling to the United States will protect the American population and the health care workers who are heroically treating infected individuals already here. It is the responsibility of the government to take this temporary step so we can prevent new infections in the United States before there is an outbreak like we have seen elsewhere."

Armed Forces and emergency health workers should still be permitted to travel under strict government supervision, the Congressman said.

Meehan also expressed concern that clear federal health protocols are not in place and available to Pennsylvania health care workers and others.

"News reports over recent days do not give Americans confidence that the CDC is approaching this situation adequately. I have heard first-hand accounts in southeast Pennsylvania over confusion about how to treat patients reporting travel in western Africa and presenting themselves for care. This is unacceptable. I call on the President and the CDC to take swift action to ensure health care workers everywhere have the appropriate guidance and resources necessary when encountering possible Ebola cases," Meehan said.

Source