Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced a new policy this week to prevent an Ebola outbreak in Virginia, stipulating that travelers arriving in Virginia from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will be screened to determine their potential risk factor.
“This plan will strengthen our ability to protect Virginians from Ebola, and increase our readiness to respond promptly in the event that we have a case of the disease in our state,” McAuliffe said in a press release.
Travelers coming from West Africa will be screened at airports and sign an agreement to take their temperature twice a day for a 21-day period. Low-risk travelers will receive a daily phone call, while high-risk travelers will receive personal visits and be told to stay home. Airports will provide individuals' contact information to the Virginia Department of Health, which will work with local health districts to support these travelers with information and assistance.
“The plan connects each traveler with our professional staff at Virginia's local health departments who know their community and can assure that the travelers will have the support, guidance and prompt clinical attention if needed,” State Health Commissioner Marissa Levine said in the release. “Because we will be able to assess the risk of each traveler, we will be better able to determine when a legal order of quarantine is necessary.”
Health care workers returning from the affected countries will face additional restrictions. All health care workers will sign agreements for restricting their activity. Those who have previously broken protocol will be required to stay at home for 21 days. Other health care workers will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and may be restricted from public transportation and clinical care.
The first case of Ebola in the United States was diagnosed in September 2014. There have been three confirmed cases of Ebola in the United States since then, though none were in Virginia. Three states, New Jersey, New York and Illinois, have implemented mandatory quarantines for any individual arriving into an airport who reports having had direct contact with an Ebola patient.
So far, 53 travelers in Virginia have been identified for monitoring.
Read More
Honor Committee plans Dorm Talks and finals week initiatives
By Lexie Stadler | 2 days agoIn an effort to enhance student outreach and introduce incoming students to the Honor System, the Committee will reintroduce Dorm Talks in the Fall 2024 semester.
BREAKING: Two fraternities suspended, one terminated after hazing allegations
By Ford McCracken | 2 days agoThe University’s chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha is the founding chapter of the fraternity, which was founded in West Range room 47 in 1868.
From the archives: April 22 – April 28
By Maisy Callahan and Grace Franklin | 2 days agoThose opposed to the Mall feared closing Main St. would create inconvenience and traffic, which would in turn decrease the income made by merchants.
