A hazardous materials team worked all day Sunday removing contaminated items from the apartment at the Ivy Apartments in Dallas where the first person diagnosed with the Ebola virus in the United States was visiting.
But neighbors fear the contamination spread well beyond the apartment Liberian native Thomas Eric Duncan had visited for several days while showing symptoms of the virus.
“Right now people are really freaked out,” said Rojina Rai, who lives in Ivy Apartments.
The other family members who had contact with Duncan are now staying at a larger home provided by the faith-based community. The location is not being made public.
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“We haven't gone to the laundry because they said he went to the laundry a couple of times,” said Rai.
Work crews focus only on the known contaminated building placing a majority of the family’s possessions in sealed bins to be destroyed.
Crews were able to salvage some important documents, jewelry, a Bible, a laptop and trophies.
The contaminated items will be moved from the Ivy Apartments to another location where a company called Stericycle will incinerate them later in the week. Dallas city officials would not disclose the location of the disposal site.
The Liberian Community Association held a meeting Sunday night to inform members of the Liberian community about Ebola. But very few people attended.
Organizers say misinformation about the virus has many Liberians in the community reluctant to go into largely populated places.
"Some people in the larger community don’t understand what Ebola is and how it’s transmitted,” said Alben Tarty with Liberian Community Association. “Some Liberians are like that [too].”
