The White House on Friday said President Barack Obama spoke via phone with public officials in Texas to thank them for their efforts against the spread of the Ebola virus.
According to the statement, Obama called Texas Governor Rick Perry, Texas Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings "to mark the end of the 21-day monitoring period for all of those in Dallas potentially exposed to Ebola." Following a briefing from his own advisers, Obama emphasized that "those in Dallas who came into contact with Thomas Duncan, the since-deceased Ebola patient, or nurses Nina Pham and Amber Vinson, among the healthcare professionals who so heroically tended to him, are no longer at risk of developing the disease." The White House also affirmed that Obama "offered his gratitude to all four [officials] for the leadership they consistently displayed throughout this challenging and uncharted experience," and "underscored that they were true and indispensable partners, and that the federal, state, and local cooperation that emerged now serves as a national model."