Rules for returning Ebola health workers need coordination: US official

[WASHINGTON] Top Obama administration officials met on Friday morning to discuss potential new rules for healthcare workers returning to the United States after treating Ebola patients in West Africa, but they want any measures to be coordinated, a senior official said.

"We will not hesitate to take any action that we feel has the potential to fortify us against additional imported Ebola cases," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"At the same time, we must do so in a manner that is coordinated and that minimizes any unintended consequences, including those that would hinder our ability to eliminate this threat at its source in West Africa," the official said.

The governors of New York and New Jersey announced unilaterally on Friday afternoon that they would automatically quarantine medical workers returning to airports in their states from West Africa.

REUTERS