Kirk: Ban travel to U.S. from western Africa
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk Friday said he backs a ban on travel to the U.S. from certain western African countries in order to avoid the spread of Ebola here.
After being shown O'Hare International Airport's Ebola screening processes, the Highland Park Republican said Secretary of State John Kerry shouldn't issue visas for people traveling from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, countries at the center of Africa's Ebola outbreak.
The first U.S. case was found in a Liberian man in Texas and spread to a couple of the nurses who cared for him. Despite the rarity, health officials at all levels have been speaking publicly about their plans to prevent further outbreaks.
"O'Hare's first responders and our area hospitals need better coordination from (the Department of Health and Human Services) in the event an infected patient arrives in Illinois," Kirk said in a statement. "Preparedness and travel restrictions will give some overdue peace of mind."
Earlier in the day, U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren, a Winfield Republican, said travel restrictions should be considered.
"All options should be on the table, including properly tailored air travel restrictions or establishing specialized regional quarantine and treatment facilities to limit the exposure to the general population," he said.