A Georgetown man is being closely monitored, Williamson County health officials say, after sitting near Dallas nurse Amber Vinson on a flight from Cleveland to Dallas earlier this week.
Vinson was among those treating Thomas Eric Duncan, the man from Liberia who began exhibiting symptoms of Ebola shortly after he arrived in Dallas earlier this month. Duncan died eight days after being admitted to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.
Vinson traveled to Ohio last week and returned to Dallas on Frontier Airlines Flight 1143 on Monday. She began exhibiting symptoms of Ebola around that time. She was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday and tested positive for the virus.
Williamson County health officials say the unidentified Georgetown man was sitting near Vinson on the flight to Dallas. He has been isolated, opting to be separated from his family. Officials say he is not showing any symptoms at this time, and the likelihood that he or other passengers were actually exposed to the virus is low.
The man does have children in Georgetown ISD schools. The family has chosen to keep the children home for the time being. The children were not on the flight.
“We have been and will continue to be in regular communication with the individual and his family on a daily basis," said Dr. Chip Riggins, the Executive Director and Health Authority of the Williamson County and Cities Health District in a written statement. "Health District staff will contact him twice daily to check for any symptoms. Again, because the family members were not exposed to a symptomatic case, they can and should be safely welcomed back to school. They do not pose a risk to others.”
A statement from Georgetown ISD Superintendent Fred Brent says the three children attend Village Elementary, Benold Middle School and Georgetown High School. Brent says the three have not been in school since Wednesday.
