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Last updated on Thursday, October 30, 2014
(WASHINGTON, DC) - Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has approved a recommendation by military leaders that all U.S. troops returning from Ebola response missions in West Africa be kept in supervised isolation for 21 days.
The move goes beyond precautions recommended by the Obama administration for civilians, although President Barack Obama has made clear he feels the military's situation is different from that of civilians, in part because troops are not in West Africa by choice.
Hagel on Wednesday approved the recommendation sent to him by Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Just over 1,000 U.S. troops in Liberia and Senegal are there supporting efforts to combat the virus.
The Army, acting on its own, put a small number of returning soldiers on a 21-day quarantine earlier this week.
Nurse under quarantine
Meantime, Maine Gov. Paul LePage says the state is working with health officials to seek legal authority to enforce the quarantine of a nurse who treated Ebola patients in Africa.
LePage said Wednesday that state police are monitoring the Fort Kent home where nurse Kaci Hickox is under voluntary quarantine.
Hickox told NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Good Morning America" that she has so far abided by the state's voluntary quarantine. She says she had no contact with anyone Tuesday and will have no human contact again Wednesday.
But she said she doesn't plan to cooperate after that.
One of her lawyers said he's still hoping to reach an agreement with the state. Hickox says she is showing no symptoms.
She was the first person forced into New Jersey's mandatory quarantine after arriving at the airport.
Ebola cases
The World Health Organization says the rate of Ebola cases in Liberia seems to be slowing, although experts are still examining the data to make sure it is reliable.
The country's Red Cross reported Tuesday that teams picked up far fewer bodies in the capital last week than in previous weeks, and there are many beds open in the capital's treatment centers.
Bruce Aylward, the assistant director-general for WHO, said Wednesday that experts are being cautious. He said the rate of infection seems to be slowing, but cautioned that a small decline does not mean the epidemic is over.
He said experts were still checking to make sure there wasn't simply a problem with cases not being reported.
He said more than 13,600 people have been sickened in the outbreak.
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