To quash what he described as “irrational fear,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday he’ll ride one of the three subway lines taken by the latest Ebola patient in the United States.
“There’s no reason for New Yorkers to panic of feel that they have anything to worry about on the subway system,” the Democrat told CNN’s Alisyn Camerota on “New Day,” adding that he plans to ride either the A, L or 1 train on Friday.
Craig Spencer, a doctor who recently returned from Guinea, tested positive for Ebola on Thursday in New York, becoming the fourth person diagnosed with the virus in the United States.
Spencer returned from West Africa last week, but didn’t exhibit symptoms until Thursday.
Cuomo stressed that the virus is transmitted only after a person starts feeling sick and shows symptoms, and New York officials are monitoring the four individuals that Spencer had contact with after he started showing those symptoms.
The governor said he spoke to President Barack Obama on Thursday night, as well as Ebola czar Ron Klain about the situation. New York has been well prepared for an Ebola case, Cuomo said, and he believes they have the system in place to handle the recent diagnosis.
“Now being New Yorkers, a little anxiety can keep you safe, right? And it’s not a bad thing. But undue anxiety is unproductive and there’s no reason for undue anxiety in this situation,” he said.