State Officials Say Washington Is Ready For Ebola

Even though no one in Washington has been diagnosed with Ebola local and state health officials are preparing for the possibility of a case. Doctor Scott Lindquist with the State Department of Health says in addition to having local providers and hospitals ready for both infection control and identification. "We also have the capability of the public health system lab. We are one of 13 labs within the country that will be able to test for ebola and we've been cleared to provide that service."
Health care facilities across the region including in Yakima are preparing for the possibility that they will need to identify cases of Ebola infection and treat people with the disease. Lindquist says he's confident that state's public health system is strong and vigilant and will be able to handle any cases that may come into the state.