Astorino: Ban Flights From Ebola-Stricken Nations

ALBANY (AP) —

Standing near the United Nations Secretariat building in Midtown Manhattan, New York’s Republican candidate for governor on Tuesday called for a ban on flights traveling from West Africa to New York to prevent the spread of Ebola.

Rob Astorino said screenings at West African airports are inadequate, and that the Federal Aviation Administration should immediately halt all air traffic to New York airports.

His Democratic foe, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said a travel ban wouldn’t be effective. He says the state is focused on improving health-screening procedures at airports, and that workers are being trained to look for passengers who might be infected with the virus.

City health officials said they’ve received calls from physicians about 88 potential Ebola cases since August but the disease was never detected.

In a related matter, despite pledges by both candidates to debate twice ahead of the Nov. 4 election, voters may have only a single opportunity to see the candidates spar. Astorino says he won’t accept an invitation to a one-on-one radio debate since Cuomo refused to have it broadcast live.

That leaves a single debate in Buffalo, but it will have two other minor party candidates.

Friday is the deadline to register to vote in the election.

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