President Barack Obama increased pressure on the international community Monday and asked for additional support in the fight against the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, during remarks he made Monday after meeting with his senior advisors.
"We have not seen other countries step up as aggressively as they need to," said Obama. "This is an area where everybody has to chip in and everybody has to move quickly in order for us to get this under control." He added, "We've got some small countries that are punching above their weight on this, but we've got some large countries that aren't doing enough." The president announced plans for "additional passenger screening (at airports) both at the source and here in the United States." He reiterated, "the chances of an of an epidemic here are extraordinarily low. But let's keep in mind that, as we speak, there are children on the streets dying of this disease -- thousands of them." Obama and his team of senior health, homeland security, and national security advisors also discussed, "the progress health officials in Texas have made in identifying and monitoring the contacts of the patient in Dallas," according to a separate statement from the White House.
It added, "The team reviewed the measures that have been in place for weeks in preparation for this contingency, and underscored their confidence that the nation's health infrastructure."