A patient was isolated with possible Ebola symptoms in Braintree, Massachusetts, officials confirmed Sunday afternoon.
Hospital officials say it is extremely unlikely that the patient has Ebola, but he remains in isolation in Boston.
The man, who had recently traveled to Liberia, was transported by ambulance after being isolated at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. He was sent to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The patient told doctors at Harvard Vanguard about his symptoms, which included a headache and muscle aches. The hospital says it isolated him out of an abundance of cauation.
"This patient does not appear to meet CDC criteria to be considered someone at high risk for Ebola and the likelihood of Ebola Virus Disease is extremely low," said Beth Israel in a statement. "The patient will remain in isolation as we continue to evaluate and monitor the patient's condition."
A pregnant Rockland woman, who was inside Harvard Vanguard for a doctor's visit, told NECN she does not believe enough was done to protect people inside from any potential threat.
"One of the ladies had yelled out that there's an emergency going on, which kind of panicked all of us," said Denise DiMarzio, who said that the staff walked through the hospital with gowns and masks.
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In a statement, Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan commended the work of officials to keep the public safe.
"Every precaution was taken in this case today and the patient has now been transported to a Boston hospital," he wrote. "The patient's car has been taken to a secure location where it can be monitored by law enforcement until more is known about the individual's condition."
Sullivan added that he was pleased that Braintree's public offices were able to assist the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh echoed Sullivan's sentiments in a statement Sunday night.
"Today's efforts reinforced my belief that the city is more than prepared to deal with any scenario like this," he wrote. "I have full confidence in our departments and healthcare organizations that we can keep Bostonians safe and healthy."
Brewster Ambulance Service, which transported the patient from Braintree to Beth-Israel, said in a statement that the company followed protocol.
"The interior of the ambulance was sealed with impermeable plastic sheeting during the transport, and will be chemically decontaminated before being returned to service," read the statement.
President Mark Brewster added in the statement that the company's staff has been trained to handle such a situation.
"Our staff has been carefully preparing over the last several weeks for situations like this," he said. "The actions by all emergency responders, including Braintree firefighters and police and our EMS team, went exactly according to protocol."
The Massachusetts DPH cleared Harvard Vanguard to be fully operational Monday. The building reopened Sunday after being closed briefly.
Hazmat, police, fire and EMS crews were on the scene in Braintree.
NECN will have more as this story develops.
