Governor Dannel P. Malloy today issued an order that gives the Commissioner of the Department of Public Health
Gov. Dannel Malloy. Photo: Arnold Gold, AP
the power to quarantine an individual or a group who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus. He stressed there are no specific cases identified, but the order is being given as a precautionary measure.
“We are taking this action today to ensure that we are prepared, in advance, to deal with any identified cases in which someone has been exposed to the virus or, worst case, infected,” Malloy said in a statement. “Our state’s hospitals have been preparing for it, and public health officials from the state are working around the clock to monitor the situation. Right now, we have no reason to think that anyone in the state is infected or at risk of infection. But it is essential to be prepared and we need to have the authorities in place that will allow us to move quickly to protect public health, if and when that becomes necessary. Signing this order will allow us to do that.”
Without the declaration of a public health emergency, there is no statewide power to quarantine, thus allowing the power to reside with local public health directors. “While local health officials are certainly on the front lines of this effort, at the ready to address any situation, having this order in place will allow us to have a more coordinated response in the event that someone in Connecticut either tests positive for Ebola or has been identified as someone who is at risk of developing it,” said DPH Commissioner Jewel Mullen. “We have had numerous conversations with both local public health officials in the state and senior officials at the Center for Disease Control. We have no reason to believe that anyone in Connecticut is infected or at risk of infection, but if it does happen, we want to be ready.”