Tallahassee, Fla. (WTXL)-- The deadly Ebola virus has now claimed more than 4,000 lives after spreading through West Africa, and as the disease moves closer to home, state health officials are reacting.
The Florida Department of Health sent a letter to the Centers for Disease Control Director Tom Frieden yesterday that detailed some of Florida's efforts to prepare, should the disease make its way into the state.
The letter said the Department would be immediately redirecting $250,000 thousand dollars to the Hospital Preparedness Program and another $1 million to Public Health Emergency Preparedness.
The department also announced their intention to take funds from the two programs in total of $5.8 million to go towards purchasing additional protective equipment.
Governor Scott chimed in on the issue today as well, saying the CDC needed to update Florida health care officials on Ebola preparedness.
"We are asking the CDC to hold a conference call with Florida hospitals on the best training and personal protective equipment protocols in the next 48 hours because we have to act with a sense of urgency to ensure our hospitals are prepared."
His statement comes amid claims that the CDC changed protocols too often in the Dallas hospital where two nurses are now diagnosed with the virus.
