Oct. 27--Gov. Pat Quinn defended his decision Monday to institute a mandatory 21-day home quarantine for all "high-risk" people who have had direct contact with Ebola patients in West Africa.
"It's already recommended that they voluntarily have such a 21-day period, but I feel in the interest of the public, the public health, it will be mandatory," he said.
Federal officials have said that mandatory quarantine is not necessary. Some health officials have warned that such a measure may prompt people to lie about their exposure and that it could discourage aid workers from traveling to help treat and contain the virus in Liberia, Guinea or Sierra Leone.
"We definitely, definitely honor all of those heroes, men and women who go forward to help the health of others," Quinn said. "At the same time, upon their return if they have been directly exposed, it's just common sense that there be this 21-day period in someone's home, where they are comfortable, in order to make sure everyone is not affected."
Quinn emphasized that the home quarantine would allow visitors and is different from keeping someone in a designated site as in New Jersey, which he said was "very wrong."
The governor said no one was in quarantine as of Monday morning.
Two patients, an adult and a child, were held in isolation temporarily last week after traveling separately to Chicago from Liberia and showing signs of illness. Both patients improved and were released from isolation.
rmccoppin@tribune.com
