Criticism for US Ebola reponse

There has been criticism of America's handling of its Ebola cases,
with concerns of the public receiving mixed messages.

It comes after the Governors of New Jersey and New York imposed
mandatory 21-day quarantines on healthcare workers returning from West
Africa.

But US healthcare officials and the President are urging that
returning nurses should be applauded for their efforts.

Nick Harper reports from New York.

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TAKE VO
The fight against Ebola is fast turning into a war of words. As
disagreements continue over US quarantine rules.
Nurse Kaci Hickox, who was forced into quarantine in New Jersey after
returning from West Africa, has now been released. She said the
detention violated her human rights.
But New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has again defended his decision
to impose a 21-day quarantine period, despite new federal guidelines
advising monitoring rather than isolation.

CLIP - Christie
"Here's the bottom line as governor, my first responsibility is to
protect the publichealth and safety of people of New Jersey. And I
will not submit to any political pressure in doing anything less than
I believe is necessary."

TAKE VO
The problem is the US still does not have a unified Ebola response.
Each state can decide its own restrictions.
And Governor Christie's rules run counter to President Obama's feelings.


CLIP - Obama
"And we can make sure that when they come back, they are being
monitored in a prudent fashion. But we want to make sure that we
understand that they are doing God's work over there, and they are
doing that to keep us safe."

TAKE VO
Meanwhile, Amber Vinson, one of two nurses to contract the disease,
has been discharged from a specialist unit in Atlanta after she was
declared free of the virus.

CLIP - Amber Vinson
"While this is a day for celebration and gratitude, I ask that we not
lose focus on the thousands of families who continue to labor under
the burden of this disease in West Africa."

TAKE VO
And after initial worries, a five-year-old boy at a New York hospital
has tested negative.

The US response to Ebola has been a case of politics getting in the
way of policy. The governors here in New York and New Jersey wanted to
show they're in control. But some feel their rules have simply
victimized healthcare workers and confused the public.

SOC

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