Governor Bentley Stresses Alabama Prepared For Ebola
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Is Alabama prepared to handle an Ebola outbreak? Â
Today Governor Robert Bentley once again saying the state is ready.
Despite orders to self quarantine…a nurse in Maine who treated Ebola patients, ignored the rules…. instead leaving her home for a bike ride with her boyfriend.
More than a thousand miles away..Alabama state leaders are keeping a close eye on the Ebola situation and say the state has the power to quarantine if need be.
“No, we would not impose a blanket quarantine. We would judge each patient based on their risk of exposure, based on what recommendations for control we though were necessary, and their adherance to those recommendations,” said State Health Officer Don Williamson.
Dr. Williamson says right now the state is monitoring two people in Alabama who came from the infected area in Africa.
We don’t know where they are in the state, but Williamson says they’re nearing the end of the incubation period.
“We are doing active monitoring where we’re contacting the patient every day, they’re getting their temperatures checked, there’s symptom monitoring. All of those folks, if they’re compliant we don’t have to worry about quarantine,” said Dr. Williamson.
The city of Montgomery had a scare a few weeks ago with a possible ebola case.
It ended up being nothing, but Governor Bentley wanted to point out that crews are ready to respond.Â
“We just want the people of Alabama to understand our readiness and understand what we have available in this state,” said Gov. Bentley.
“With H1N1, fortunately it was a mild pandemic, but it did provide money for states to build stockpiles of certain response materials like biohazard suits and things like that,” said Williamson.
