New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday that Newark Liberty International Airport is rushing to get ready to screen incoming passengers for the deadly Ebola virus.
“We’re not ready at the airports yet, but we will be,” Mr. Christie said during a press conference in Trenton, nj.com reported.
Newark is one of five airports in the country that the Obama administration has designated to screen passengers arriving from West African countries for early signs of Ebola. Mr. Christie said that the administration is moving “as quickly as they can” to finish preparations at the airport.
Mr. Christie, a potential contender for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, said state hospitals are equipped to handle any cases of the disease.
“I do think that we’re as ready as we can be from the hospital perspective,” Mr. Christie said. “I think we’ve already proven that. We had the one potential incident that came in Newark airport last weekend that was dealt with very quickly.”
Authorities quarantined a plane Saturday for several hours in Newark over concerns that a passenger who had been vomiting during the flight was carrying the virus, CBS News reported.
The 35-year-old man and his daughter, who were traveling from Liberia, were taken to University Hospital in Newark and were determined not to have the disease.
Mr. Christie did express concern over the possibility of an outbreak of Ebola in the U.S.
“Of course I’m concerned, I don’t think there’s anybody in the country who’s not concerned about the situation with Ebola,” Mr. Christie said.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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