THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
October 12, 2014
Readout of the President’s Call with Secretary Burwell
This morning the President was briefed on the diagnosis of a second case of Ebola in Dallas, Texas, by Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco. The President later spoke with Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell, who updated him on the response to the diagnosis. The President during the conversation directed that:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) investigation into the apparent breach in infection control protocols at the Dallas hospital move as expeditiously as possible;
- The additional officers CDC has dispatched to Dallas work closely with state and local authorities as well as hospital staff to review infection control procedures and the use of personal protective equipment;
- Lessons learned from that inquiry are shared quickly and broadly; and,
- Federal authorities take immediate additional steps to ensure hospitals and healthcare providers nationwide are prepared to follow protocols should they encounter an Ebola patient.
The President concluded the call by requesting that Secretary Burwell continue to update him on the response.
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