Maine nurse to defy Ebola quarantine, says she won’t be ‘bullied’

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The first person quarantined under New Jersey’s strict anti-Ebola restrictions said she will not obey a home quarantine order in Maine. 

Nurse Kaci Hickox told NBC’s “Today” show that she remains “appalled” by policies forcing healthcare workers who have treated Ebola patients to isolate themselves for 21 days after their return to the United States.

{mosads}”I don’t plan on sticking to the guidelines,” Hickox said Tuesday. “I remain appalled by these home quarantine policies that have been forced upon me, even though I am in perfectly good health and feeling strong and have been this entire time completely symptom free.”

Hickox was quarantined Friday at Newark Liberty International Airport after returning from a month treating Ebola patients in Sierra Leone.

Her case became a flashpoint in the debate over measures to prevent Ebola’s spread in the United States and created problems for Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.), after she remained under quarantine despite testing negative for Ebola.

Hickox was released earlier this week and transferred to Maine, where she lives. Her attorney said Monday that she agreed to stay in her home and not venture into large public places.

But Hickox appears to have changed her thinking. “I am not going to sit around and be bullied by politicians and forced to stay in my home, when I am not a risk to the American public,” Hickox said. “I do understand that [Ebola] has created a lot of fear, but we still have to make policies based on evidence.”