Istanbul's Marmar University Training and Research Hospital is not accepting new patients after, as Daily Sabah reports, a person suspected of being infected with Ebola has been quarantined. The patient, who arrived by plane from Ivory Coast, is suffering high fever and nausea. While Lagos, Nigeria was CDC Director Frieden's worst nightmare with regard Ebola contagion, we suspect Istanbul is a close second with over 14 million people living there. This news comes as US politicians begin to call for visa restrictions and travel bans from infected nations.
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- *MAN WITH EBOLA HOSPITALIZED IN ISTANBUL: DAILY SABAH
- *ISTANBUL HOSPITAL TEMPORARILY QUARANTINED ON EBOLA: DAILY SABAH
A man arriving from Ivory Coast infected with the Ebola virus has been hospitalized in Istanbul on Wednesday.
The patient was brought to the Marmara University Education and Research Hospital. He was diagnosed with Ebola after landing in Istanbul's Sabiha Gökçen Airport. The hospital was briefly quarantined and current patients immediately were transferred to other hospitals.
The patient will be transferred to Süreyyapa?a Breast Diseases Education and Research Hospital on Thursday morning.
?stanbul'da Ebola karantinas? http://t.co/AMP42gcIba [9] pic.twitter.com/ZLkiPJKaPo [10]
— NTV (@ntv) October 15, 2014 [11]
Just before this news broke, US politicians started raising the rhetoric on travel bans...
- *MCCAUL, R-TX, IS CHAIRMAN OF U.S. HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY CMTE
- *REP. MCCAUL CALLS FOR U.S. VISA SUSPENSION FOR EBOLA-HIT NATION
- *MCCAUL PROPOSED VISA BAN FOR LIBERIA, GUINEA, SIERRA LEONE
House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul says a temporary travel ban targeting Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea is needed until the outbreak of Ebola “is under control.”
McCaul, R-Texas, called on the Departments of State, Homeland Security to temporarily suspend visas of individuals from those countries
Travel ban would impact 13,500 visas, McCaul says
McCaul’s letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson co-signed by subcmte chairmen Reps. Peter King, Candice Miller, Jeff Duncan, Richard Hudson, Susan Brooks, all Republicans
And then:
- *BOEHNER: U.S. SHOULD MULL TRAVEL BAN FROM COUNTRIES WITH EBOLA
- *HOUSE 'READY TO ACT' IF EBOLA LEGISLATION NEEDED: BOEHNER
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) today issued the following statement on the growing Ebola crisis:
“Our hearts go out to the health care workers who have contracted the Ebola virus here in the United States, as well as those who have been impacted by it around the globe. We pray for their speedy recovery, and we pray for those who are helping to treat and care for these individuals, including our medical experts and military personnel who are in West Africa to help stem this deadly disease. Concerns about the possibility of an outbreak of this sort prompted the House to provide more funding for the CDC than requested, and the tragic developments seen in recent weeks demonstrate that decision was a prudent one.
“In a September 16 speech in Atlanta, President Obama said the ‘chances of an Ebola outbreak here in the United States are extremely low.’ Since that time, several Americans have been diagnosed with the virus and untold more potentially exposed to it. Today we learned that one individual who has contracted the virus flew to Ohio through the Cleveland airport in the last few days. A temporary ban on travel to the United States from countries afflicted with the virus is something that the president should absolutely consider along with any other appropriate actions as doubts about the security of our air travel systems grow.
“It is also imperative we ensure that federal, state and local agencies, along with our public health infrastructure, are prepared, remain vigilant, and follow proper protocols to identify the virus and take appropriate measures for those who have been exposed to it.
“Numerous committees – including the House Armed Services Committee and the Committees on Appropriations, Homeland Security, Energy & Commerce, and Transportation & Infrastructure – are actively assessing the administration’s response, and hearings have already begun. The Homeland Security Committee held a hearing in Dallas to examine the federal, state, and local response thus far. Tomorrow, the Energy & Commerce Committee will hear from the CDC and NIH to look into their response to the crisis. These oversight efforts will continue, and the House stands ready to act if it becomes clear legislation is needed to ensure the threat is countered aggressively and effectively.
“The administration must be able to assure Americans that we will stop the spread here at home. We will continue to press the administration for better information about what steps will be taken to protect the American people, including our troops, from this deadly virus. And we will work with the administration on appropriate policy options that will help stop the spread of this horrific disease both here in the United States and around the globe.”
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And so it begins...
