Mayor Gathers Cabinet To Prepare For Ebola
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In an effort to be better prepared in the event of an Ebola outbreak in Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel gathered his top advisers to discuss the city's plan of action to fight the deadly virus
Emanuel wanted the lessons of Dallas, where protocols were broken in the case of an Ebola patient who died, to avoid repeating them when and if Chicago is directly confronted with Ebola, CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports.
Emanuel emerged from the hour-long meeting with his health commissioner, public safety officials, O'Hare administrator, and hospital executives where they discussed who would do what, when and if an Ebola patient was discovered here.
It was clear it's not something he's taking lightly.
"I want to use this time now to make sure that all the ways of evaluating ourselves while working with our federal partners," Emanuel said. "What happened in Dallas? What happened in Spain? Is there any take away? Any lessons to be learned?
"We have a plan. We have the training. We have the internal and external communication and making sure people have and can rely on the public health and the public safety here in the city of Chicago."
When the mayor was asked whether the city was prepared if a case was reported right now, Emanuel responded: "Yes."
Not an unexpected answer from the always supremely confident mayor.
Of course, you never know for sure until it happens, but today's meeting and others which will follow are an effort to justify the mayor's confidence.