President Obama has postponed a planned campaign trip Wednesday to New Jersey and Connecticut so he can hold a meeting at the White House on Ebola.
“Late this afternoon, the president will convene a meeting at the White House of cabinet agencies coordinating the government’s response to the Ebola outbreak,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. “There will be a pool spray at the conclusion of that meeting, where the president will deliver brief remarks.”
The announcement comes just hours after health officials confirmed that a second healthcare worker had contracted the Ebola virus in Dallas. Officials also said the worker flew from Cleveland to Dallas the day before showing Ebola symptoms.
For weeks, the White House has insisted that health officials would stop the virus “in its tracks,” but the change in Obama’s schedule showcases the extent to which public fears have dominated the political conversation in Washington.
Obama had planned to attend a campaign event with Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy on Wednesday evening.
