Thirty-five hospitals nationwide are now capable of treating Ebola, the Obama administration announced Tuesday, part of the federal government’s ramped-up efforts to prevent a domestic outbreak of the deadly virus.
“We continue our efforts to strengthen domestic preparedness and hospital readiness. I am pleased to announce that 35 hospitals have been designated by state health officials as Ebola treatment centers that are prepared, trained and ready to provide care for a patient with Ebola,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 80 percent of travelers from the Ebola-stricken nations in West Africa live within 200 miles of such treatment centers.
The U.S. has not experienced any known cases of Ebola since a pair of Dallas nurses contracted the virus. They are now Ebola-free.
Still, the Obama administration is hesitant to declare victory, with Ebola ravaging much of West Africa.
“As long as Ebola is spreading in West Africa, we must prepare for the possibility of additional cases in the United States,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden. “We are implementing and constantly strengthening multiple levels of protection, including increasing the number of hospitals that have the training and capabilities to manage the complex care of an Ebola patient. These hospitals have worked hard to rigorously assess their capabilities and train their staff.”
The Obama administration now requires all U.S.-bound travelers from four West Africa nations to travel to one of five U.S. airports employing heightened screening measures.
President Obama later Tuesday will travel to the National Institutes of Health to trumpet the results of a potential Ebola vaccine.
