Four relatives of the Ebola patient in Dallas have been ordered to stay in their home, federal and state health officials said Thursday.
Law enforcement officers are posted outside the home of Thomas Eric Duncan to be sure his relatives stay home, as Texas state health commissioner David Lakey said the unusual step was to allow health officials to do necessary monitoring. Up to 100 people are being monitored to determine if they have had contact with the Ebola patient hospitalized in Dallas.
Officers visited the family’s apartment late Wednesday to ensure no one entered or left the residence. Building manager Sally Nuran said the CDC has been working with these people and plan to monitor them on a daily basis. The agency will also take care of their basic needs like food, she said.
"The family is safe,” Nuran said. “They are going to be under monitoring by CDC for at least 20 days.”
Duncan, meanwhile, did come in contact with five children who attended four Dallas schools. They have pulled out of class and will be isolated at home, MyFoxDFW.com reports.
Others parents have removed their children from local schools as a precaution.
“I am very afraid and I feel like they should let us know for the safety of our children,” Natasha Lawrence told the website. “They should tell us who the child is and where the people are living at. It's our obligation to keep our children safe and it's their obligation to keep us safe.”
Citing privacy concerns, district officials declined to identify the students. None of them are showing symptoms of the deadly virus.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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