Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins called on Texans Monday to welcome people at risk for Ebola back into the community after three emotional weeks of isolation.
Louise Troh — the girlfriend of Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who tested positive for Ebola in Dallas and later died — and several of her family members will no longer be quarantined because the deadly virus’ incubation period is over.
Overall, 43 people have “rolled off” the quarantine list, one will later today and four others will come off the list in the coming days, Judge Jenkins told reporters.
“This is very good news,” he said.
The judge asked the community to show compassion for the people who came into contact with Duncan, particularly five children who are returning to school.
“There’s zero risk that any of those people who’ve been marked off the list have Ebola,” he said. “The time period for them to get Ebola has lapsed. It is over.”
Dallas County officials, like those on the federal level, are trying to manage both the spread of Ebola and the concerns of an American public that is not familiar with the virus, which has devastated West Africa.
Two Dallas nurses tested positive for Ebola last week after treating Duncan, although there have been no confirmed cases in the U.S. since then.
“It’s understandable there are a lot of people who are afraid,” Judge Jenkins said. “Fear is normal.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.