Obama Calls United Nations, French President to Address Ebola Threat

Obama Calls United Nations, French President to Address Ebola Threat

President Obama took time out of his Columbus Day weekend to make a few phone calls about the threat Ebola poses to the world.

According to the White House Press Office, Obama called French President Francois Hollande “to coordinate actions to contain the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.”

The pair discussed additional measures to stem the spread of Ebola outside of Africa, such as passenger screenings, according to a readout of the call.

Obama also spoke with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon “to coordinate actions to contain the Ebola epidemic in West Africa” and pressed for “more robust commitments and rapid delivery of assistance by the international community.”

President Obama also held a meeting in the Oval Office with government officials to address the second Ebola case in Dallas, Texas, after a nurse tested positive.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and National Security Adviser Susan Rice attended the meeting. Director Tom Frieden of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention participated in the meeting via teleconferencing.

Burwell and Frieden updated President Obama on “the surge in personnel and other resources” to combat the disease.

According to the meeting’s readout, Obama “reinforced that this investigation should proceed as expeditiously as possible and that lessons learned should be integrated into future response plans and disseminated to hospitals and healthcare workers nationwide.”

The White House released a photo of the meeting via Twitter.

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