Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins says the county has set up an Incident Management Center inside of the Emergency Operations Center and is now acting as the lead agency in the containment and investigation into the Dallas Ebola case.
Jenkins announced the move during a news conference Thursday afternoon and said the IMC had the endorsement of both Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. David Lakey, the commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services.
As part of the IMC, Lakey will work within the Dallas County EOC to help manage the response to the deadly virus.
"Dr. Lakey provided invaluable service in the turnaround of Parkland Hospital and the 2012 response to West Nile virus. He is now embedded in the Dallas County EOC," Jenkins said in a news release Thursday.
"Chief Doug Bass, Dallas County Emergency Management Coordinator and Chief of Emergency Services, will act as the Incident Commander to effectuate policy decisions that will be made in close coordination with the CDC, DSHS, and Dallas County Health and Human Services," Jenkins said in a news release.
The CDC, Dallas Independent School District and City of Dallas will also add staffers to the Dallas County EOC.
According to The White House, President Barack Obama called Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings Thursday to discuss the federal response to the case of Ebola in Dallas.
"The President called to make sure the mayor was getting the resources he needed from the federal government, including the Centers for Disease Control, to treat the patient safely, and control this case so that it does not spread widely. The president pledged federal agencies will remain in close coordination and reiterated his confidence in America’s doctors and national health infrastructure to handle this case safely and effectively," the White House said in a statement.
For residents that have questions or concerns about the Ebola virus, Dallas County Health and Human Services created a phone line dedicated to answering questions residents may have about the Ebola virus. The Ebola line will be staffed Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. and can be reached at 214-692-2783.
