10/27/2014 10:14:43 AM
Minnesota Department of Health will monitor, for 21 days, individuals traveling from West Africa to Minnesota
After consulting with a team of experts in public health, medicine, ethics and law, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton and Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger today announced the framework for Minnesota's plans to monitor the health of any individual returning to Minnesota after traveling from one of the countries in West Africa affected by the Ebola outbreak.
"My number one priority is to do whatever will best protect all Minnesotans from exposure to this disease. We believe the framework we are announcing today provides the most effective, science-based approach we can take to carefully monitor individuals and protect the public while ensuring the rights of citizens are not abused," Gov. Dayton said.
Over the weekend, Governor Dayton, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the team of experts developed the basic framework for Minnesota's monitoring program, which has begun. Based on guidance from CDC, Minnesota's plan covers four types of returning travelers:
According to the framework:
Any situation involving children or adults who work with children will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
"This is a framework for monitoring, but we recognize and anticipate that every situation is going to be somewhat different. We will rely on the expertise of our team of epidemiologists, infection control specialists and medical experts to determine the course of action in each case that will be most effective in limiting the possibilities that the individual could spread disease to others," Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ehlinger said.
"These new protective measures will best protect the safety of all Minnesotans," Gov. Dayton said. "State officials, airport officials, medical professionals, first responders, and our federal partners will remain constantly vigilant to protect Minnesotans from exposure to Ebola."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week announced a new nationwide effort to enhance public health protections against Ebola. Beginning today in six states and expanding quickly to all 50 states, the CDC will work with state health agencies to monitor the health of any individual who has recently traveled to Ebola-affected regions of West Africa. The basic plan calls for daily monitoring of individuals' temperatures and checking for any other Ebola-like symptoms for the 21 days after that person enters the United States.
"While there may still be certain details that need to be amended as we move forward, we believe the basic elements of the plan will add another layer of protection for families, communities and health care workers," Ehlinger said.
Those individuals who attended meetings on Sunday with Gov. Dayton and provided their input on the plan were: