ebola

4 relatives of Ebola patient ordered to stay home

Friday, October 3, 2014

Dallas residents on edge after Ebola case

Neighbors of the family the Ebola patient is visiting are speaking out about their concerns

WASHINGTON (KTRK) -- A week after the first person to be diagnosed in the U.S. started showing symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus, the contaminated clothing, towels and sheets from the Dallas apartment where he was staying with family has been removed.

A HAZMAT cleaning crew arrived at the complex this evening, to start the removal and decontamination process. Materials removed from the apartment will be incinerated.

Duncan's female friend, who has also been referred to by others as his wife, her 13-year-old son and two older nephews are under state quarantine. The order was imposed and served on the four people in the apartment last night, because, according to the Dallas County Judge, they were non-compliant with the request to stay inside the home.

Judge Clay Jenkins said today, the rarely-used quarantine order was signed because, "it's for their benefit and everyone else's when they send their children to school after being told not to send their children to school."

As of now, there is law enforcement posted around the complex to prevent the family in the second floor apartment from leaving. The quarantine order says they are not permitted visitors without approval, that they must submit to twice daily health monitoring to check for Ebola symptoms, and that failure to comply may result in prosecution.

The Associated Press reported it had contacted the woman with whom Duncan was staying, who says "she's tired of being locked up."

So far, none of Duncan's have shown symptoms of the deadly virus. Interviewed by ABC News, Duncan's half-brother says he wasn't sick when he left Africa and believed he was infected in the U-S.

The family did have one visitor tonight- Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins visited the apartment with two state health workers. He left without comment. Not long after he departed, a Red Cross truck arrived. A police officer told reporters, "the Red Cross delivered blankets and bedding at the family"s request. That's all we have to say at this time."