With this week's evidence that the deadly Ebola virus has reached U.S. soil, politicians are calling for better protection against the virus. New York Senator Charles Schumer says there's no need for panic, but he is urging federal agencies to take joint measures in preventing the spread of Ebola.Schumer is calling for the Centers for Disease Control to train U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents to actively screen air passengers arriving from viral hotspots in West Africa.
He also wants the agencies to conduct screenings on personnel aboard cargo ships entering U.S. ports, primarily in New York and New Jersey, as Liberia has the second largest cargo ship fleet in the world.
Additionally, Schumer is urging the Department of Homeland Security to create a database of passengers flying to and from West Africa. He wants that database to be shared with local hospitals across the U.S. in order to avoid the mistakes made in Dallas with Ebola patient Thomas Duncan.
