July 8, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Public health officials comment on LAX traveler being tested for Ebola

A person who recently traveled to Liberia was taken to an Inglewood hospital overnight from Los Angeles International Airport and was being tested for Ebola, but the head of the county Public Health Department said Wednesday the person is not suspected of having the potentially deadly disease.

The person, who did not exhibit any symptoms of Ebola, was placed in isolation in the emergency room of Centinela Hospital Medical Center, according to the hospital.

Officials declined to discuss exactly what symptoms the person showed to lead to hospitalization. A hospital spokesman said the person apparently had “some sort of illness.”

“Ambulance personnel alerted the hospital prior to arrival so upon entry to the hospital campus, all (Centers for Disease Control) precautions were fully implemented,” according to a hospital statement. “The hospital has been preparing for the possibility of this situation for weeks and staff has been trained per CDC protocols.”

The patient will remain in isolation and was being tested in consultation with the CDC, hospital officials said.

“Our ER team did a precise and thorough job of implementing our full protocol,” hospital CEO Linda Bradley said. “They acted quickly and decisively in determining the status of the patient and contacted all necessary authorities. Myself and our Chief Medical Officer, Paryus Patel, have been in close communication with (the state Department of Public Health), CDC and all appropriate public health agencies.”

The hospital is still open, and steps are being taken to ensure the safety of patients, families and staff. Despite the patient’s isolation and observation, Los Angeles County interim Public Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser insisted that the patient does not meet the criteria to even be considered a suspected case of Ebola. He said such a designation would require a person to not only have a travel history in an Ebola-affected area, but to also have a high fever.

Gunzenhauser declined to discuss what symptoms the patient had, but insisted the person was considered a “no-risk” case.

“What’s occurred today at Centinela Hospital is not unexpected and we expect more things like this will happen in the future,” he said. Gunzenhauser said he expected all tests on the patient to be completed within the next day, but it was unclear when the person might be released.

“There may be other clinical things going on with the patient,” he said. Gunzenhauser declined to provide any details about the patient’s symptoms that led to an ambulance being called to the airport, but he said he was still confident the patient was not at risk of Ebola.

“There may have been other symptoms the patient had,” he said. “… I just can’t disclose what those other symptoms might have been.”

The news came as federal authorities announced plans to begin an extra layer of screening at five U.S. airports for passengers arriving from the Ebola- affected nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. LAX is not among the airports that will have the screening.

Los Angeles County health officials noted earlier that LAX is generally not considered a gateway for passengers traveling from West Africa, since there are no direct flights between the two locations.

The enhanced screening — with customs officials observing arriving passengers for signs of illness — will being at New York’s JFK International Airport on Saturday. The screening will start next week at Washington-Dulles, Newark, Chicago-O’Hare and Atlanta international airports.

“We believe these new measures will fully protect the health of Americans, understanding that nothing we can do will get us to absolute zero risk until we end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa,” CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said.

Related Posts

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

One Last Bite: La Novia Bids Farewell with Final Pop-Up at Cardinale du Vin

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Inventive Latin-Asian Pop-up Serves Seasonal Small Plates for One-Night-Only La Novia, the pop-up kitchen known for its inventive Latin-Asian flavors,...

Governor Newsom Unveils Fast-Track Rebuilding Plan on Six-Month Anniversary of Palisades Fire

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

State Clears Over 5.5 Billion Pounds of Debris From Fires Ahead of Schedule Marking six months since the devastating Eaton...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

July 4 ICE Raid on WeHo Car Wash Ends in Deportation of Local Resident

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Longtime West Hollywood Worker with Family’s Rent Money Taken in Raid A group of masked men and women, without official...

Bel Air and Holmby Hills Estates Lead May’s List of America’s Top 10 Home Sales

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

LA Claims Two of the Top Three Luxury Home Sales Last Month expensive residential transaction in the U.S. for May,...

Developer Seeks to Replace Mid-Century Building With 65 New Units in Palms

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Apartment Complex Near E Line May Be Demolished for Larger Housing Project Mid-century apartments near Metro’s Palms Station are set...

Newhart Family Lists Beloved Comedy Legend’s Townhouse in Century City

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Late TV Star’s Custom Townhouse, Filled With Memories and Holiday Cheer  A luxurious Century Woods townhouse once home to comedy...

Michael Madsen, Star of Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill, Dies at 67 in Malibu

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Actor Remembered for His Intense Performances and as a Poet  Actor Michael Madsen, known for his distinctive gravelly voice and...

Los Angeles City Council Cracks Down on ‘Disaster Tours’ in Pacific Palisades

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

City Council Bans Commercial Bus Tours in Burn Zone Amid Community Backlash Tour buses that have been operating in fire-ravaged...

Tow Truck Scammers Target Crash Victims Across L.A.: Authorities Warn of Fraud at Accident Scenes

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Officials Urge Drivers to Stay Alert After Collisions as Rogue Operators Demand Inflated Fees  Motorists involved in vehicle accidents are...

Woman Dies After Melrose Store Altercation: LAPD Launches Homicide Investigation

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Critically Injured Young Woman Died July 2, After She was Badly Beaten at Work  The death of a woman critically...

CHP Officer Dies in Culver City Crash: Medical Emergency Suspected Behind Tragic Incident

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

Officer lost consciousness while transporting a suspect before crashing into a tree California Highway Patrol Officer Miguel Cano died early...

L.A. Beaches Brace for Holiday Rush: Over 1 Million Visitors Expected This Fourth of July

July 4, 2025

July 4, 2025

County Officials Urge Beachgoers to Pack Out Their Trash and  Monitor Water Quality More than one million visitors are expected...