By James Lomuscio
UPDATE Even though no Ebola virus cases have been reported in Connecticut, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy today declared a public health emergency in the state because of the outbreak.
Malloy signed an order that gives the commissioner of the Department of Public Health (DPH) the power “to effectively quarantine an individual or a group of individuals” who may have been exposed to or infected with the Ebola virus.
In a statement, Malloy’s office stressed the quarantine is not due to a specific case being identified, “but rather as a precautionary and preparatory measure,” whether it is confirmed or potential case in Connecticut.
“Right now, we have no reason to think that anyone in the state is infected or at risk of infection,” Malloy said. “But it is essential to be prepared, and we need to have the authorities in place that will allow us to move quickly to protect public health, if and when that becomes necessary. Signing this order will allow us to do that.”
Mark Cooper, health director of the Westport-Weston Health District, questioned why Malloy is using so strong a word as quarantine.
“I don’t know why they’re using the word quarantine at this point,” Cooper said. “Even what the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) is calling for is voluntary isolation, not quarantine, since the maximum amount of time for incubation is 21 days.
“I can only say the governor’s office is exercising an abundance of caution,” he added. “Long before we talk about quarantining, we’ll be talking about voluntary isolation. These are doctors, good people, who are coming back from Ebola hot spots and who would voluntarily isolate themselves.”
Cooper said he had a morning phone conference with DPH Commissione Jewel Mullen and other state health directors on preparing for a potential Ebola case.
“We were basically talking about how we would handle these things,” Cooper said, noting that two Yale researchers who returned from Africa are in voluntary isolation.
According to Malloy, the signed order is a declaration of a public health emergency, giving Mullen the authority “to quarantine and isolate individuals whom the commissioner reasonably believes has been exposed to the Ebola virus.”
“Without the declaration, there is no statewide ability to isolate or quarantine – instead, the authority rests with each individual local public health director,” Malloy said.
Mullen said Malloy’s signed order “will allow us to have a more coordinated response.”
“We have no reason to believe that anyone in Connecticut is infected or at risk of infection, but if it does happen, we want to be ready,” Mullen said.
While the Ebola virus, also known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever has been around for years and first identified in 1976, “it’s always been out in the bush of Africa,” said Cooper.
“But now this has broken out of the back country and is urban centers, and turning up in other countries, even here, like the case in Texas,” he said.
Despite heightened concerns underscored by Malloy’s signed order, Cooper offered thoughts to quell potential panic.
“Ebola is a very serious thing, but it should not get out of control in this country,” he said. “We have the medical infrastructure.”
