Brooks: No reason to believe Ebola will hit Monroe

Patti Singer

Staff writer

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks said Wednesday there is no reason to believe there is a local risk for Ebola. Brooks briefed the media after participating with local officials from around the country in a conference call with President Barack Obama.

“When the president of the United States takes that step to talk to county leaders, state leaders, to me that’s a very significant event because that communication is going to be critical,” Brooks said.

Right off the bat, the president acknowledged, “you guys are on the front lines of public health every single day … And I thank you for that.”

The call lasted less than 10 minutes, according to a transcript provided by the White House.

Obama said federal and local officials would “have to be partners in this fight.” He pledged federal help to governors, mayors or county leaders if someone in their area were to be diagnosed with Ebola. Earlier Wednesday, a Dallas resident who returned from Liberia with the virus died. At her briefing, Brooks said news of Thomas Eric Duncan’s death prompted calls to her and other county officials. She said the purpose of her briefing was to quell fears.

“People get very, very uncomfortable when they start hearing about a death in Texas. Texas is a long way off, but people get very nervous. We’ve gotten calls from parents, ‘What are the schools doing?’ People who are traveling, ‘Is it safe for me to travel?’ ” Ebola is spread through contact with body fluids of people showing the high fever, diarrhea and vomiting that are some of the symptoms.

Brooks talked about the five U.S. airports that will perform health screening on passengers from West Africa, where the outbreak originated. Despite “international” in its name, Greater Rochester International Airport is not an initial arrival point for overseas travelers. Brooks said those travelers likely would be screened at one of the larger airports, such as Newark Liberty or John F. Kennedy International, prior to their arrival in Rochester.

Rochester airport officials are monitoring the Ebola situation but have not received any federal protocols related to Ebola, according to county spokesman Jesse Sleezer. He wrote that the airport would continue performing only standard security screening.

“We want our residents to understand and have confidence there is no reason to believe that Ebola is imminent or even a likely threat in this community,” Brooks said.

Asked to identify a pressing public health issue, she came right back with childhood obesity.

PSINGER