Nurse says she plans to end voluntary quarantine Associated Press 5 hrs ago Kaci Hickox: This undated image provided by University of Texas at Arlington shows Kaci Hickox. In a Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014 telephone interview with CNN, Hickox, the nurse quarantined at a New Jersey hospital because she had contact with Ebola patients in West Africa, said the process of keeping her isolated is inhumane. © AP Photo/University of Texas at Arlington This undated image provided by University of Texas at Arlington shows Kaci Hickox. In a Sunday, Oct. 26, 2014 telephone interview with CNN, Hickox, the nurse quarantined at a New Jersey hospital because she had contact with… FORT KENT, Maine (AP) — A nurse who treated Ebola patients in West Africa said Wednesday that she plans to stop quarantining herself in her home in rural Maine, signaling a potential showdown with state police monitoring her movements and state officials preparing to legally enforce the quarantine. Kaci Hickox told NBCs Today show and ABCs Good Morning America that she was abiding by the states voluntary quarantine by having no contact with people Tuesday and Wednesday. But she said she will defy the state if the policy isnt changed by Thursday. I dont plan on sticking to the guidelines, Hickox said on Today. I remain appalled by these home quarantine policies that have been forced upon me even though I am in perfectly good health. Her lawyer told The Associated Press that Hickox, whos shown no symptoms of Ebola, isnt willing to cooperate further unless the state lifts all or most of the restrictions. The governor said Wednesday he was seeking legal authority to keep her in isolation. We hoped that the health care worker would voluntarily comply with these protocols, but this individual has stated publicly she will not abide by the protocols. We are very concerned about her safety and health and that of the community, said Gov. Paul LePage, who canceled his campaign events to follow the developments. Hickox, who volunteered in Sierra Leone with Doctors Without Borders, was the first person forced into New Jerseys mandatory quarantine for people arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport from three West African countries. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo were sharply criticized for ordering mandatory quarantines as Hickox spent the weekend in a tent. Now in Maine, Hickox arrived Tuesday night at the off-campus home of her boyfriend, whos a senior nursing student at the University of Maine at Fort Kent. I am not going to sit around and be bullied by politicians and forced to stay in my home when I am not a risk to the American public, she said. Fort Kent is in far northern Maine, across the river from Canada, and has 4,300 residents. About 1,000 students attend the university there. Across the country, litigation seems unavoidable as health officials grapple with how to manage public health concerns once Ebola reached the U.S. Some states, including Maine, are going above and beyond guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommend only regular monitoring — not quarantine — for health care workers who have come into contact with Ebola patients. LePage commended all health care workers who have volunteered in Africa to treat Ebola patients and said he had hoped Hickox would voluntarily comply with Maines restrictions. While we certainly respect the rights of one individual, we must be vigilant in protecting 1.3 million Mainers, as well as anyone who visits our great state, he said. Norman Siegel, one of Hickoxs lawyers, said he remained hopeful the state will ease its restrictions. If not, then the state would have to go to court, and he would challenge the states action. Our position is very simple. Theres no justification for the state of Maine to quarantine her. She has no symptoms and therefore shes not contagious. And shes not at a risk to the public or the health and welfare of people in the state of Maine, he said. The leader of Maines Roman Catholics weighed in on the fight, urging calm and reason and lauding Hickoxs bravery. We need to balance our desire to protect ourselves and those we love with the obligation to treat Ms. Hickox with the same compassion and support that she displayed in West Africa, rather than with fear and rejection, Bishop Robert F. Deeley said.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Oct 2014 23:42:53 +0000
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