Under Pressure

Cuomo Loosens NY Ebola Quarantines

Christie hangs tough with small concession.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said people quarantined in the state over Ebola—but who do not show symptoms of the disease—will be allowed to remain at home and will receive compensation for lost income. Those quarantined at home will be visited twice a day by local authorities. Family members will be allowed to stay, and friends may visit with the approval of health officials. Cuomo’s decision came after a weekend in which Obama administration officials urged him and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to reconsider the mandatory quarantines they announced Friday, and in the face of fierce criticism from medical experts. Nurse Kaci Hickox, who was quarantined after arriving at Newark’s airport after working in West Africa, also had condemned the policy. Aides to President Obama asked other governors and mayors to follow policies based on science, seeking to stem a steady movement toward more stringent measures at the state level. Florida and Illinois have said they also will institute strict quarantines. Cuomo said New York’s policy remains in place but the home-isolation concession was meant to balance public safety with the need to avoid deterring medical professionals from volunteering in West Africa. New Jersey’s quarantine policy remains unchanged, although Christie late Sunday appeared to have softened his stance somewhat, saying on his Twitter feed: “Obviously, if they’re already a resident of NJ then they can quarantine in their own homes under a quarantine order.”