As Kaci Hickox — the nurse quarantined by New Jersey who made national news publicizing her confinement — is released at the behest of the White House, reports are the Joint Chiefs of Staff are recommending Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel impose the same 21-day quarantine policy for soldiers returning from Ebola-impacted countries in West Africa.
Fox News Pentagon correspondent Justin Fishel tweeted today:
Joint Chiefs of Staff recommend to SecDef Chuck Hagel all troops returning from West Africa undergo a mandatory 21-day quarantine
— Justin Fishel (@JustinFishelFNC) October 27, 2014
the very same policy decision the President is fighting to overturn in NY and NJ.
— Justin Fishel (@JustinFishelFNC) October 27, 2014
CBS News is reporting troops returning from Liberia are being held in isolation in Italy:
JUST IN: U.S. soldiers returning from Ebola-stricken Liberia are being placed in isolation in Italy, David Martin reports
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 27, 2014
President Obama announced in September the deployment of 3,000 troops to help with logistics and security in African countries impacted by the Ebola outbreak.
The Defense Department had previously made a similar recommendation — now the Joint Chiefs have joined in that call.
The White House made news over the weekend by pressuring New York and New Jersey to rescind their 21-day quarantine policy for returning health-care workers who had direct contact with Ebola patients.
The White House previously stated military personnel would not have direct contact with Ebola patients, making the quarantine recommendation all the more curious.