Sunday, October 26, 2014

And we win one!

Updated below:

Breaking from the New York Times:
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday night outlined New York State’s mandatory quarantine policy for health care workers returning from West African nations with Ebola outbreaks , bringing the state closer into line with federal protocols and marking a significant break with the way the policy has been carried out in New Jersey.
The announcement comes after the Obama administration pressed New York to rescind its order, issued only two days ago in a joint press conference with New Jersey’s governor, Chris Christie. New Jersey officials, who stood by their decision on Sunday, have yet to explain many details of their quarantine policy. The state has come under scathing criticism for the treatment of a nurse returning from Sierra Leone, who was forced into quarantine in a hastily erected tent at a New Jersey hospital even though she had not displayed any signs of illness and tested negative for Ebola.
Earlier in the day, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the treatment of the nurse, Kaci Hickox,had been shameful and vowed that New York City would do all it could to honor the work of the health care workers here and those who go to help fight the epidemic in West Africa.
Via Funny or Die.

I still won't vote for Cuomo. Don't care for the way he buckles under pressure, even when he's buckling in the right direction. Subject to hysteria, not a steady hand like Howie Hawkins. And speaking of buckling, thanks, thanks, thanks Mayor de Blasio and President Obama for your firmness in sticking by the rational approach in the face of media and political panic. You guys are great.

Update:

It's really not good enough, either. A "face-saving" "compromise" that will convince nobody.

Returning medical workers will be allowed to do their quarantines at home if they love in New York state, somehow in hotels otherwise, and they'll be able to receive visitors, and the state will compensate them for lost work time and "persuade" their employers to put up with the inconvenience if necessary.

But it continues the false notion that asymptomatic people are dangerous, while allowing visitors so that the population can't feel safe from the imaginary danger. It sounds designed by one of those bad lawyers to protect Cuomo from getting sued (as Christie is being sued by gutsy nurse Kaci Hickox), but is it even constitutional to give this differential treatment to people from other states? And, speaking of other states, how is the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages the airports, supposed to carry out Cuomo's and Christie's opposed plans at the same time? Looks like New Jersey State Police are taking over from the Port Authority at Newark Airport. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

Mayor Bill de Blasio showed up for the press briefing but his words earlier in the day were unambiguously in favor of science and humanity:
"Anyone who has heard nurse Hickox explain her situation in her proud, compassionate, intelligent voice knows that what happened to her was inappropriate," de Blasio said. "Each government has to make decisions We understand that. ... But the problem here is this hero is coming back from the front, having done the right thing, was treated with disrespect was treated with a sense that she had done something wrong when she hadn't. We owe her better than that."

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