MEDIA >> The chief executive officer of the Philadelphia International Airport updated Delaware County officials Thursday regarding the Ebola precautions the airport has taken.
Mark Gale told Delco officials that the risk of an Ebola-infected person entering the airport is very low, according to County Council Chairman Tom McGarrigle.
About 2,000 passengers travel through Philadelphia from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea — the three West African countries where the epidemic is centered. There are no direct flights to or from those countries.
Also, the airport has had an active quarantine station for seven years and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a presence, McGarrigle said. Airport officials also are being trained to identify people displaying Ebola symptoms.
Gale was not present for the press conference.
County Council launched an Ebola and Infectious Disease Task Force this week to improve awareness of Ebola, which has been contracted by two health workers in Dallas and killed more than 4,000 people in West Africa.
“We just want to ensure the residents of Delaware County that their health and safety is the utmost concern to us on Delaware County Council,” said McGarrigle, a Republican running against John Kane for the open seat in the 26th Senatorial District.
Kane commended airport officials for working to ensure regional safety while criticizing the county government for relying on a task force in the absence of a county-wide health department.
County officials were not alone in seeking the best precautions against Ebola becoming widespread in the United States.
U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Upper Darby, and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., each called Thursday for tighter travel restrictions.
Meehan called for a temporary ban on commercial travel to the West African countries where the outbreak is present, saying the United States should take every sensible step to isolate the outbreak while assisting them in battling the disease.
Toomey wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, asking why a commercial ban would not be appropriate. He also said continuing to provide aid to the countries is paramount.
Mary Ellen Balchunis, a Democrat challenging Meehan, agreed that a temporary commercial ban is prudent, but criticized Congress for previously cutting funding for vaccine research.
- Source: http://www.delcotimes.com
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