“I hereby declare a public health emergency for the State, pursuant to the Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-131a, for the duration of the epidemic. Specifically, in accordance with Connecticut General Statutes Section 19a-131b, I authorize the Commissioner of Public Health to Order the isolation or quarantine, under conditions prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health, of any individual or group of individuals whom the Commissioner reasonably believes to have been exposed to, infected with, or otherwise at risk of passing the Ebola virus.”
World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan issued a statement Monday at a conference in Manila calling the outbreak “the most severe, acute health emergency seen in modern times.”
She said development of a vaccine or cure for Ebola has lagged because the virus is prevalent in such poor nations.
“The outbreak spotlights the dangers of the world’s growing social and economic inequalities,” Chan added. “The rich get the best care. The poor are left to die.”
She said the outbreak is disrupting economies and societies around the world. She said 90% of economic costs of any outbreak “come from irrational and disorganized efforts of the public to avoid infection.”