OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The 57 quarantined guests at Camp Ashland all left the base healthy and returned home Thursday.
"These people pose no threat to their communities, these Americans have done their duty, 14 days and they're getting to go back to their families," said Dr. Eric Kasowski, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention team lead at Camp Ashland.
The quarantined guests had a final temperature and health check this morning and everyone screened healthy. The 57 people left Camp Ashland throughout the day, taking vans to Eppley Airfield.
"People took off their masks after their final health-check and it went from quarantine to selfies and high-fives and hugs," said Joe Smith, a CDC public information officer. "If we went away from home for two weeks we'd be ready to be back and they said to me they're ready to be in their own kitchen so they can cook their own food and they're ready to be around their family and friends."
Some in the Omaha area may worry the CDC is letting sick people back out in to the public. Dr. Kasowski said an average incubation period is five to six days. The 14-day period is two incubation periods longer than the benchmark.
"I would have absolutely no reservations putting my family in these rooms right now," Dr. Kasowski said.
The quarantined group was responsible for paying for their own flights out. Smith said none of the quarantined people were from Iowa or Nebraska.
"All passengers are staying in the U.S. and are literally staying from Seattle to New York and all points in between," Smith said.
Dr, Kasowski said the CDC is sanitizing the rooms at Camp Ashland in accordance with federal guidelines. UNMC crews will run ultraviolet lights through to be extra-cautious.
3 News Now asked both CDC officials about the condition of the 14 passengers who came over from the cruise ship in japan. Both said their focus was currently on the passengers leaving Camp Ashland. After all the quarantined guests leave they would pivot to focus their attention on those passengers.
