U.S. military in West Africa will return to a quarantine

WASHINGTON — All American troops returning from Ebola response missions in West Africa will be placed in supervised isolation for 21 days, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday. He called it a “safety valve” sought by military members’ families.

The U.S. military has nearly 1,000 troops in Liberia and just over 100 in Senegal supporting efforts to combat the virus. The total could grow to 3,900 under current plans. None are intended to be in contact with Ebola patients.

In explaining his decision, Hagel noted that the military has more people in Africa helping with the Ebola effort than any other segment of the U.S. government.

“This is also a policy that was discussed in great detail by the communities, by the families of our military men and women, and they very much wanted a safety valve on this,” he said at a public forum in Washington.

The move goes beyond precautions recommended by the Obama administration for civilians, although President Barack Obama has made clear he feels the military’s situation is different from that of civilians, in part because troops are not in West Africa by choice.

Hagel acted in response to a recommendation sent to him Tuesday by Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on behalf of the heads of each of the military services. They cited numerous factors, including concerns among military families and the communities from which troops are deploying for the Ebola response mission.

Nurse agrees to quarantine after service in Sierra Leone

AUSTIN, Texas — A nurse has agreed to quarantine herself in her Texas home after she returned from working with Ebola patients in Sierra Leone on Wednesday, according to the governor’s office.

The nurse, who was not identified, does not show signs of symptoms, but she is at risk under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols, a news release said. She landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport early Wednesday morning.

“In Texas, we have a great tradition of welcoming our heroes back home and this heroic individual deserves our appreciation, our compassion, and our utmost respect,” Gov. Rick Perry said in the release.

Perry requested the nurse quarantine herself at home, where the Texas Department of State Health Services will monitor her twice a day for 21 days. The governor’s office has declined to release the nurse’s personal information, including the area where she lives.

– From news service reports

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