Queens Borough President Melinda Katz met with Health Department officials on Monday to consider Queens’ ability to deal with an Ebola outbreak.
Katz also emphasized the need to work closely with the department given the large population of the borough, which hosts two busy airports.
“There is a very deep interest in [Queens] about this,” Katz said.
Dr. Jessica Kattan, a city health official, fielded questions from Katz and community board members.
But Kattan didn’t have the answer to many of the questions and advised people to call 311 if someone has Ebola.
“Does Purell work on this thing?” Katz said.
Kattan said she didn’t know the answer but promised to get back to Katz with an answer.
A community board member asked if planes coming from West Africa to Queens were being sanitized and the air ventilation system flushed out.
Kattan didn’t know, but she said, “the chances of New Yorkers getting Ebola is very slim.”
Katz also made a suggestion about the airports.
She said they should be reporting to Kattan’s department so that communication and information between the airports and the city is greater.
“We’re relying on you guys for vital information,” Katz said. “It’s important.”
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