Janet Napolitano refuses to close or even tightly secure the border despite health risks (+Eric Massa)

Rep. Eric Massa - Democrat of New York state - is calling for the Mexican border to be closed. Meanwhile, Janet Napolitano of the Department of Homeland Security is refusing to close the border and does not appear to fully appreciate the risks of a loose border during a pandemic. At a press conference today, she said:

"We're already doing passive surveillance at the border... You would close the border if you thought you could contain the spread of disease, but the disease already is in a number of states within the United States." ...Noting that those infected with swine flu may not show symptoms for a few days, Napolitano said border closure is "a very difficult judgment to make." ..."We are simply in preparation mode... We do not yet know how widespread this flu will be within the United States." ..."We believe at this level the appropriate precautions have been taken."

The disease is certainly already here, but if those who are ill now could be contained it might not spread as far and as rapidly. By allowing people to come here who might already be ill - or who might have the disease but not have symptoms - she's going to make the situation even worse. That's as irresponsible as those Mexicans entering the U.S. who refuse to wear masks. She has a 9/10 mindset motivated by some combination of corruption, political correctness, and personal knowledge that she'll be OK. Government workers on the border are already receiving anti-viral medications, and no doubt she is as well.

UPDATE: The New York Times offers "With Swine Flu Cases Rising, Borders Are Tightened" (link). The "borders" part refers to other countries; ours remain wide open even if we might be discouraging travel to Mexico. The World Health Organization doesn't want borders to be closed or a ban on travel but other countries are moving in that direction. Note that the WHO's director general is from the PRC (who.int/dg/chan/en/index.html).

And, the outbreak might have started in the area of a Smithfield pig farm in Mexico; link. Hundreds in one village got sick (or thought they were sick) and one of the original sufferers tested positive for swine flu.

Mon, 04/27/2009 - 21:21 · · Importance: 4