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There will also be a hyperlink to the new website – www.ct.gov/ebola – on the homepages of all state agencies.
Right at the top of the website are three facts on Ebola:
- You can't get Ebola through air.
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You can't get Ebola through water.
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You can't get Ebola through food.
“Many residents have questions and concerns. For that reason, we felt it was important to create a localized site where information will be updated on an ongoing basis,” said Malloy. “While there are no cases of Ebola in Connecticut, we are taking safety measures to prevent the spread of this virus should someone in our state become sick with Ebola. Our health officials and Unified Command Team have been meeting to prepare for a potential case here in Connecticut.”
Last week, Yale-New Haven Hospital admitted a doctoral student who had recently returned Liberia and who was running a fever. Test results showed the student did not have the Ebola virus, but the announcement in New Haven caused concern across the state.
The state now has nine people under quarantine who traveled recently to West Africa. They are being monitored by state public health officials and have no symptoms of Ebola.
“While a widespread outbreak of Ebola in our country remains unlikely, we still want residents to have information they need to understand how Connecticut is preparing,” said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen. “This site provides people with access to timely and accurate information about Ebola and the work the state and its partners are doing to protect Connecticut.”
The website provides risk information about Ebola virus infection, a map of the West African countries affected by Ebola, and information about actions the state of Connecticut is taking to prevent the spread of the virus should someone in Connecticut become sick with Ebola.
The site provides links to additional resources and information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners.
The site also includes resources for health care providers, including new guidance from the CDC on the use of personal protective equipment by health-care personnel.
Over the past several weeks, the state has taken several preventive measures to help prevent the spread of Ebola in Connecticut.
- Malloy signed an executive order to grant authority to Mullen to quarantine an individual or group of individuals who have or may have been exposed to the disease.
- The state Department of Public Health is ensuring hospital and health system readiness to detect, protect and treat patients infected with Ebola.
- Malloy convened a Unified Command Team to ensure statewide coordination in the ongoing emergency management efforts and to provide clear communication to the public.
- Most recently, the UCT is in the process of conducting a review of municipal and state agency inventories of Personal Protective Equipment.
The United Way’s 211 is also a resource equipped to handle inquiries concerning Ebola on its website at www.211ct.org, or by calling 2-1-1.
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