Sandoval calls for Ebola task force to tackle any threat to Nevada

By Pashtana Usufzy

Friday, Oct. 17, 2014 | 9:35 p.m.

Nevada will form an Ebola task force to focus on training and responsiveness in case the Silver State is exposed to the virus, the state Department of Health and Human Services announced Friday.

Gov. Brian Sandoval instructed the department's chief medical officer, Dr. Tracey Green, to gather experts and other leaders to prepare the state in the event an Ebola case is reported in Nevada, the department said in a statement.

The group will provide updates to the governor and also aim to enhance communication, officials said.

“Preparedness is the best defense so I asked that this task force be created as a precautionary measure to stay ahead of any potential exposure to the Ebola virus and ensure the safety of all Nevadans,” Sandoval said in the statement.

Green said the "collaborative communication network" in Nevada will allow the state to stay ahead of the Ebola threat.

“Effective interventions to control the spread of Ebola can be accomplished through a strict adherence to the core functions of public health, coordinated communication, ongoing surveillance for early case identification, rapid and prompt case isolation, timely and appropriate care; contact tracing and the enhancement of public health preparedness plans,” Green said in the statement.

According to the statement, the state is already taking steps to protect against any possible Ebola exposure.

Green, state medical epidemiologist Dr. Ihsan Azzam, and other public health and emergency management professionals have been briefing Sandoval on the situation while passing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports along to the medical community, the statement said.

The state is also participating in situational reports from the CDC, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the National Security Council.

The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, meanwhile, is assessing the availability of personal protective equipment as the state ensures medical workers are properly trained in effective protection protocols, the statement said.