California Health Officer Dr. Ron Chapman has issued a risk-based quarantine order regarding the Ebola virus, providing what he called consistent guidelines in dealing with any appearance of the disease in the state.
Chapman said Wednesday there are no reported or confirmed cases of Ebola in California; however, he added, he took the action to reduce the chances of any potential spread of the disease.
Chapman’s guidelines require counties to assess persons individually who are considered at risk for Ebola, and to tailor an appropriate level of quarantine.
He said the “flexible, case-by-case approach” is designed to ensure that California’s local health officers prevent spread of the disease while treating at-risk individuals fairly and consistently.
“We’re establishing a statewide, standard protocol requiring some level of quarantine for those at highest risk of contracting and spreading Ebola,” he said.
“This order will protect the health and safety of Californians and support the state’s local health officers’ existing authority to develop protections against disease spread.”
The order applies to anyone traveling to California from an Ebola-affected area and to those who have had contact with someone who has a confirmed case of the disease.
It requires those travelers to be quarantined for 21 days.
“A person traveling to this region that has not come into contact with a person with Ebola will not be subject to quarantine,” Chapman said.
He said the order defines an Ebola-affected area as one determined as an active area by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Currently, those areas are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Under Chapman’s order, county health officers are authorized to issue quarantine orders for individuals and to establish limitations of quarantine on a case-by-case basis.
Those limitations will be based on the California Department of Public Health’s newly released “Guidance for the Evaluation and Management of Contacts to Ebola Virus Disease.”
That advisory will guide local health officers about quarantine limitations they should take, based on the level of Ebola risk to which individuals were exposed, Chapman said.
“Although quarantine can involve isolation at home, it may be tailored to allow for greater movement of individuals who are deemed to be at lower risk,” he said.
That’s because some individuals who have been to an Ebola-affected area shouldn’t be considered at high risk for the disease, Chapman said.
“This order will allow local health officers to determine, for those coming into California, who is most at risk for developing this disease, and to contain any potential spread of infectious disease by responding to those risks appropriately.”
Local health officers in California have the authority to order quarantine of people who may have an infectious disease that threatens public health, Chapman said.
“This order will ensure consistent application across the state of quarantine for high risk individuals in order to control risks from Ebola,” he said.
Chapman said many health care workers who live in California “have selflessly volunteered to help combat the current Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.”
He praised those volunteers for their attempts to stem the epidemic at its source, from direct care of confirmed Ebola patients to providing health education to others who live in those areas.
“Health care workers who go to Ebola-affected countries to treat patients are great humanitarians,” he said, promising, “They will be treated with respect and dignity when they come home as these important public health actions are taken. We value those who volunteer to help those in need, and appreciate their willingness to serve.”
They’re not the only ones who are coming to the state from the three affected countries, Chapman said. Residents returning from travel there, as well as visitors from the region, are coming to California, he said.
Ebola virus disease first was reported in Guinea in December 2013, and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone, with a small outbreak in Nigeria and one case reported in Senegal.
The latter two countries were declared disease-free this month, according to the World Health Organization and CDC reports.
“Since the Ebola outbreak began in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, CDPH has worked with state, federal and local health officials to prepare for potential cases of Ebola in California,” Chapman said.
In August, the department posted an informational website to provide information about the outbreak and to prepare California health care providers with the CDC’s guidance and protocols.
Chapman’s department also developed an interim case form for reporting suspected cases of Ebola, and has distributed CDC guidance on specimen collection, transport, testing and submission for patients suspected of having the disease.
Last week, the department also posted interim guidelines for Ebola medical waste management. It also has recommended through the California Health Alert Network that all health care facility environmental services personnel and infection control staff collaborate on protocols for safe handling of Ebola-related medical waste at their specific sites, Chapman said.
In September, the department gathered together more than 1,100 health care and public health workers, urging them to assess their readiness to handle the disease and to conduct drills at their clinics and hospitals.
In addition, a teleconference this month with health care providers informed them of the latest data on handling suspected cases, Chapman said.
“CDPH is providing weekly updates to local health officials, first responders and health care providers as the Ebola outbreak continues in West Africa,” he said. It also has established a telephone hotline call center to respond to public inquiries.
Earlier this month, Gov. Jerry Brown and officials from the California Health and Human Services Agency, the CDPH, the Department of Industrial Relations and California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) met with health directors and medical providers about disease protocols, and identified the University of California Medical Centers as priority hospitals for the treatment of confirmed cases.
Chapman said his department is providing consultation to local health departments and health care providers around the clock, and is working with multiple state agencies to address preparedness for any potential Ebola case.
Those interested in reading the order in its entirety may visit the department’s website, cdph.ca.gov. The department’s number is 916-558-1784.
Leave a Reply