‘Ebola Czar’ Needed In U.S., John McCain Says [Video]

In the wake of Sunday’s (Oct. 12) news of a second diagnosed case of ebola in the United States, U.S. Sen. John McCain has suggested the appointment of an “ebola czar.”

McCain’s “ebola czar” comments were uttered during an appearance on “State of the Union” with Candy Crowley, according to Mediaite.

“From spending time here in Arizona, my constituents are not comforted…. There has to be more reassurance given to them. I would say that we don’t know exactly who’s in charge. There has to be some kind of czar.”

The Hill went on to quote McCain’s insistence on an “ebola czar” based on the following statement from the 2008 Republican nominee for president.

“I’d like to know who’s in charge.”

In a YouTube clip of the CNN interview with Crowley, McCain went into more detail on what other actions should be taken in addition to appointing an “ebola czar.”

“I think we have to look at people coming into the United States, not only at our airports here but places where they leave from. As you know, there are not direct flights from Africa. And Americans have to be reassured here and I don’t think we are comforted by the fact that we were told that there would never be a case of ebola in the United States and obviously, that’s not correct. I was impressed by your panel, but frankly I’d like to know who’s in charge, among other things.”

While McCain asserts that there are no flights from Africa to the United States, one would assume he means from the three western African nations currently afflicted with widespread cases of ebola. There are several non-stop flights from nations like Kenya and Nigeria to major hubs across the United States, including New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Hill reported that JFK is among the five American airports that has begun increased screening of passengers from nations that are effected by the ebola outbreak.

The latest case of ebola diagnosed in Dallas involves a nurse who treated Thomas Eric Duncan, who died last week of ebola. Duncan had been the first case diagnosed within the United States. He had flown from Liberia to Dallas, and it is alleged that he may have lied on travel questionnaires to be able to travel outside of the West African nation to the United States.

Other cases within the U.S. involve individuals who contracted the illness overseas, were diagnosed overseas and flown back to the U.S. for treatment, including a freelance journalist for NBC News who is being treated at a medical center in Omaha.

[Image via katc.com]