The Catskill Chronicle

NEW YORK STATE (October 23, 2014) – (Editor’s note: the Governor’s address was made earlier today, before the announcement that a doctor who had contracted Ebola was a patient in New York City.

Governor Cuomo at the 10/23/14 education session:

“And when we first learned about Ebola we had to come together and inform ourselves. Well that’s what today is all about. This is a training. This is a session to inform you, to educate you. What’s going to kill this disease is knowledge and training and preparation. Having the right protocols, having the right knowledge, having the right equipment, and doing it right and making sure we make no mistakes. In truth, unfortunately, we have an advantage from watching what happened in Dallas. Because Dallas didn’t have a chance to prepare the way we have a chance to prepare. And Dallas didn’t have the time to work through all these issues. Dallas didn’t have the opportunity to come together like we’re coming together today to learn to be trained in how to deal with it.

“We have been spending weeks getting ready for today. I’ve been Governor for four years – this has been the most coordinated, most serious effort that we have undertaken of its kind. We’re working with every city in the State. We’re working with the federal government. We’re working with Secretary Jeh Johnson, we’re working with the CDC – everybody has been comparing notes. Coordinated on every level, from transportation workers in the MTA to airport workers at JFK and La Guardia to the healthcare system which is where we are today.

“We’re taking this as seriously as we are taking anything because it is a matter of protecting people’s health and protecting people’s health on the front lines.”