DALLAS, Texas — In the past week reports have gone out concerning adding Ebola watch listed individuals to a more official no-fly list. Thursday WFAA 8 published a no-fly letter they had obtained from its recipient.
WFAA reported, “A source at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Preparedness confirmed to News 8 Wednesday night that letters have been sent out telling certain people being monitored for Ebola contact that they cannot travel by air.”
A copy of the October 18 “no-fly” letter obtained by the local news station can be seen here.
Partial comments from the letter read, “This action has been taken because you are reasonably suspected of having had an exposure to an infectious disease that is contagious. If you develop illness and fly, you may transmit your infection to other passengers and crew.”
Thursday a doctor who had been treating Ebola patients in Guinea came in to a hospital in New York with Ebola-like symptoms. He returned to the U.S. ten days previous to his admittance to the hospital reports the Daily Mail.
Since the diagnosis and death of first U.S. diagnosed Ebola victim Thomas Eric Duncan and the subsequently infected nurses who had treated Duncan, Nina Pham and Amber Joy Vinson, American citizens have questioned whether the outbreak is under control. Government officials have time and again said it is. President Obama told United States citizens that it was unlikely Ebola would make it to America. National Radio personality Rush Limbaugh recorded Obama as saying, “In the unlikely event that someone with Ebola does reach our shores, we’ve taken new measures so that we are prepared here at home.”
Just over 100 individuals in the area in and surrounding Dallas, Texas remain on a list of individuals being monitored after having had contacted with either Duncan or one of the two nurses now being treated for the disease.
Another 164 are being monitored in Cleveland after nurse Amber Vinson received an Ebola diagnosis. Vinson had traveled back to Dallas from Cleveland after a weekend trip and had begun exhibiting symptom of the disease before boarding that return flight.
“This list exists for other specific highly-contagious diseases, not just Ebola. The source tells News 8 each person on the list has been completely vetted and discussed, and the list is “completely legal,”” reported WFAA.
It is yet unknown exactly how many persons have been added to the no-fly list due to their Ebola watch status.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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