Nurse Kaci Hickox Defies Ebola Quarantine, Goes For Bike Ride

Kaci Hickox doesn’t exactly agree with Maine’s quarantine order. The 33-year-old nurse, who recently returned from treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, defied the state’s wishes this morning to go for a bike ride with her boyfriend.

Reuters reports that Hickox was forced to spend three days in a quarantine tent after returning from West Africa. When she tested negative for Ebola, she was taken to her home where she was told to spend the rest of her 21-day quarantine.

Hickox, however, says that the state cannot legally force her to stay at home.

Norman Siegel, Hickox’s lawyer, said: “Since there’s no court order, she can be out in public … Even if people disagree with her position, I would hope they respect the fact that she’s taking into account the fear, which is based on misinformation about the way the disease is transmitted.”

At least Kaci Hickox is wearing a helmet. pic.twitter.com/tBrbEYhNcN

— bernie lubell (@bernielubell) October 30, 2014

Hickcox had a 45 minute bike ride w/ her boyfriend. Police spoke w/ them & now they r back inside the home @WLBZ2 pic.twitter.com/hUZXFnXlNP

— Kaitlyn Chana (@KaitlynChana) October 30, 2014

There is no court order requiring Hickox to stay in her home in Fort Kent but Maine Health Commissioner Mary Mayhew said that that could change soon.

Mayhew, who is in the process of filing a court order, said: “We acknowledge that this protocol may go slightly beyond the federal guidelines, although the recent changes are very much more in line with Maine’s approach. We have made the determination that out of an abundance of caution, this is a reasonable, common-sense approach to remove additional risk and guard against a public health crisis in Maine. If an individual who came in direct contact with Ebola patients has returned to Maine and is not willing to avoid public contact and stay in their home voluntarily during the period they are at some risk, we will take additional measures and pursue appropriate authority to ensure they make no public contact.”

What do you think? Do you think Kaci Hickox is putting her neighbors in danger by defying the state’s quarantine order?

[Image Via Twitter]