Obama pushes against mandatory Ebola quarantines
Speaking after a Wednesday meeting with those doctors, Obama said Americans' actions are leading to significant gains in the fight against Ebola, but that these people require support at home.
"If we're discouraging our healthcare workers who are prepared to make these sacrifices from traveling to these places in need, then we're not doing our job in terms of looking after our own public health and safety," Obama said. "We can't discourage that, we've got to encourage it and applaud it."
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Some states, including New Jersey and New York, have instituted mandatory quarantine policies for any health care worker returning from treating Ebola patients in affected countries. One nurse, Kaci Hickox, was critical of this policy after being placed into quarantine in a New Jersey hospital after returning from West Africa.
"When they come home, they deserve to be treated properly, they deserve to be treated like the heroes that they are," the president said of the health care workers treating African Ebola patients.
He also took an optimistic tone on the battle against the deadly disease, saying he is confident America will "contain and ultimately snuff out this outbreak of Ebolabecause that's what we do."
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"Because of the leadership that we've shown on the ground, the mood in Liberia has changedpeople have a greater sense of confidence that this can be dealt with," the president said.
Obama was introduced by Dr. Kent Brantly, who survived the disease after contracting it in West Africa.
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Obama pushes against mandatory Ebola quarantines