(Reuters) - The U.S. Army has started isolating soldiers returning from an Ebola response mission in West Africa, even though they showed no symptoms of infection and there was no incident signaling potential exposure, the Pentagon said on Monday.The decision goes well beyond previously established military protocols and came just as the White House pushed to roll back steps by U.S. states to quarantine healthcare workers returning from countries battling Ebola epidemics, even if they showed no symptoms of infection.
The Army has already isolated about a dozen soldiers at part of a U.S. military base in Vicenza, Italy. This includes Major General Darryl Williams, who oversaw the military's initial response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Williams is the head of the U.S. Army Africa, which is based at Vicenza, and the senior Army officer at the base.
"They're not allowed to leave," said Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman.
Dozens more troops would be isolated in the coming days as they rotate out of West Africa, where the U.S. military has been building Ebola treatment facilities to help health authorities treat Ebola victims, the Pentagon said.
"There was no single triggering event. This is really a decision that's made out of an abundance of caution," Warren said.
The Army is the only service to implement such a move. The only personnel who have rotated out of the operation so far have been from the Army, Warren said.
But a U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that discussions were under way about taking similar action across the U.S. armed forces.
I see. So this is fine for soldiers NOT directly working with infected Ebola patients every day for months, even those up to the rank of Major General, who can't sue over this, and are actual heroes 24/7/365/forever.
It's just not okay for Nurse MiMi Bitchypants Crybaby, who WAS working with infected Ebola patients every day for months, because it interfered with her vente latte, a tofuburger, and cuddle time with male cohabitant, and she (horrors) had to sleep in a tent. Yeah, the Pentagon will get right on that complaint too.
Got it, thanks for clarifying how this is all "based on science".
We will see how the public treats this woman.
ReplyDeleteAlso how her resume will be affected.
Adding Unprofessional conduct to incompetence and stupid as the causes of dying in an Ebola crisis.
When she walks into a restaurant and the other customers leave may be the biggest indicator.