Cuomo Softens Tone on Ebola Quarantine Policy

Update:

Hours after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo clarified the state's quarantine policy, the New Jersey Governor's office said it too would permit home confinement for medical workers who have had contact with Ebola patients if the workers show no symptoms. As in New York, these individuals will receive twice-daily monitoring from health officials.

Original post:

Just two days after Govs. Andrew Cuomo of New York and Chris Christie of New Jersey made a joint announcement about the strict, 21-day quarantines they would impose upon travelers returning from West Africa who display Ebola symptoms, Cuomo held a news conference on Sunday night with Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city and state officials to clarify how the detainments would work in New York.

All travelers arriving at JFK Airport from Ebola-ravaged nations, including Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will be monitored by local health authorities for temperature for 21 days; those who say they had contact with people infected with Ebola but show no symptoms themselves will be required to quarantine themselves in their home if they are a New York resident, and in a state-provided facility if a non-resident; and, those who show Ebola symptoms at the airport will be transported by the state to one of five designated hospitals.

In addition, Cuomo announced that the state would cover the cost of quarantine and compensate those who who are forced to miss work for 3 weeks due to their quarantine. He also said the state would reach out to hospitals and aid groups to encourage them to continue sending relief workers to African nations engulfed in the Ebola epidemic.

"We're trying to balance aid to West Africa and protection and the public health of New Yorkers and addressing the fear and concern of New Yorkers," Cuomo said.

The governor offered the new quarantine details following two days of scathing criticism about the state-level quarantines from the White House, health officials, and relief organizations, and an oblique rebuke from Mayor de Blasio in his own news conference at Bellevue Hospital earlier Sunday evening.

"It's fine for local governments to come to a policy decision but a hero needs respect," said de Blasio, referring to the decision in New Jersey to quarantine a nurse who arrived at Newark Liberty Airport Friday from Sierra Leone.

The tone of Cuomo's comments Sunday evening contrasts with that of Gov. Christie, who continued to stand firm about his state quarantine policy throughout the weekend.

"The government's job is to protect the safety and health of its citizens and so we've taken this action," he said on Fox News Sunday. "I have no second thoughts about it."