Down East Notes

PUBLIC INFORMATION ANNOUNCEMENT
Town of Freeport, ME

On Monday evening, October 27, 2014, the Maine State Police informed Freeport’s Police and Fire Departments that Ms. Kaci Hickox would be stopping in Freeport for one night on her way to her home in Fort Kent. Ms. Hickox is a healthcare worker who recently returned to the United States after caring for Ebola patients in West Africa. Ms. Hickox garnered national attention when she was temporarily detained in New Jersey before being released to travel home to Maine.

Freeport Town Officials were informed by the Maine State Police that:

•   Ms. Hickox would remain in voluntary quarantine at a private residence during her time in Freeport;
•   Ms. Hickox was traveling with a health care worker from Maine Department of Health and Human Services who would be monitoring her for any signs of illness; and
•   There was little to no danger to the public since Ms. Hickox was asymptomatic, and Ebola is only transmissible when patients are displaying symptoms.

Town Officials followed all appropriate protocols and contacted the appropriate State agencies including the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Ms. Hickox departed Freeport on October 28, 2014, and, according to news reports, arrived in Fort Kent later that same day.

There is no reason to believe that this incident represents a threat to the public health of our community. However, we are sending out this notice because there has been significant interest in this case and it is important that Freeport’s residents are kept informed.
If you have any questions regarding the Ebola virus, please do not hesitate to contact the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention at 1-800-821-5821 or visit their website at: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/