The President convened a meeting this afternoon to discuss the two current Ebola cases in the United States and to receive an update on all actions being taken in response. The President’s advisors detailed for him the status of the investigation into how the Dallas healthcare workers were exposed to the virus and updated him on the contact tracing process, which allows health officials to identify and, as necessary, monitor all individuals who may have come into contact with the patients following their exposure. They also discussed the steps the President ordered to enhance the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ability to respond rapidly, safely, and effectively upon the diagnosis of an Ebola case domestically. The President underscored the need for federal authorities to work closely with state, local, and hospital officials immediately should another positive diagnosis occur in the United States. The meeting concluded with a discussion of protocols to ensure that lessons-learned from the Dallas experience—as well as broader procedures for treating Ebola patients—are disseminated and readily available to all of our nation’s hospitals, clinics, and frontline healthcare workers.
Meeting Participants:
- Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services
- Denis McDonough, White House Chief of Staff
- Susan Rice, National Security Advisor
- Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
- Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention