Guest post by Kristinn Taylor
In this 2014 photo provided by the Samaritan’s Purse aid organization, Dr. Kent Brantly, left, treats an Ebola patient at the Samaritan’s Purse Ebola Case Management Center in Monrovia, Liberia. On Saturday, July 26, 2014, the North Carolina-based aid organization said Brantly tested positive for the disease and was being treated at a hospital in Monrovia. (AP/Samaritan’s Purse)
President Barack Obama sought to assure the nation Friday his administration is taking precautions to alleviate the threat of spreading the Ebola virus to the United States via a gathering of African leaders next week in Washington, D.C.
Speaking at a White House press conference on the eve of the summit of around fifty African nations, Obama said that attendees from affected West African nations who have even an ‘infinitesimal risk’ of exposure to Ebola would be subjected to medical screening before they departed for the summit and would be monitored for signs of infection while in Washington.
Obama’s statement contradicted efforts all this week by his administration to downplay the Ebola virus affecting the summit. Yesterday White House Deputy Press Secretary Eric Schultz and State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf each expressed no concern by the administration about the Ebola virus affecting the summit.
“In terms of the summit, I would tell you that we’re working closely with regional governments to stem the spread of the virus. We have no plans to change any elements of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, as we believe all air travel continues to be safe here.”
“QUESTION: — but my question is more to the point, is there any concern that with people coming in, even if they’re not the heads of state, that with the delegations coming in from countries that may have had this, that – is there any – is there a health concern about this?
“MS. HARF: There is not. The CDC has stated there’s no significant risk in the U.S. from the current Ebola outbreak. Obviously, we’re monitoring the situation.
“QUESTION: Well, there’s no significant risk because there are few people who – but I mean you’ve got –
“MS. HARF: Including from those traveling for the summit.”
President Obama’s statement on Ebola screening for the summit:
“We are doing two things with respect to the summit itself. We are taking the appropriate precautions. Folks who are coming from these countries that have even the marginal risk or infinitesimal risk of having been exposed in some fashion we’re making sure we’re doing screening on that end as they leave the country. We’ll do additional screening when we’re (sic) here. We feel confident that the procedures that we’ve put in place are appropriate.”
The Obama administration has urged federal workers to stay home during the summit and to monitor the media for a possible announcement of a government shutdown.
The Gateway Pundit was first to raise the issue of the out of control Ebola outbreak in West Africa and Obama’s African leaders summit. Wonkette attacked The Gateway Pundit earlier this week for reporting on the potential danger of Ebola being brought to the United States by attendees to the summit from affected nations. Obama’s announcement today vindicates The Gateway Pundit’s reporting on the matter.
I am prepared to put Wonkette’s latest owed apology on layaway with the others.
Previous Gateway Pundit articles on Ebola affecting the D.C. summit:
July 27 EBOLA OUTBREAK SPINS OUT OF CONTROL on Eve of Obama’s African Summit in Washington
July 28 Ebola Coming to D.C.? “Every Precaution” Being Taken by Obama Admin as African Summits Start
July 30 DEMOCRAT LAWMAKER: Close US Border to Ebola Countries
July 30 Ebola: White House Raises Specter of Gov’t Closure During D.C. Africa Summit
July 31 Obama Admin Refuses To Scrub US/Africa Leader Summit Despite Ebola Threat
August 1 Ebola and D.C. Africa Summit: Official, ‘Protocols in Place for Visitors with Health-Related Issues’
