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  1. #1
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
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    New Orleans mayor Nagin quarantined in China

    Nagin, wife, staffer quarantined in China

    by Darran Simon, The Times-Picayune
    Sunday June 07, 2009, 5:00 PM

    New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, his wife, Seletha, and a member of the mayor's entourage were being held in quarantine at a hotel in Shanghai after a passenger on Nagin's flight to China came down with suspected swine flu symptoms, a city spokeswoman said Sunday.


    Mayor Ray Nagin and wife Seletha in a 2006 photo.

    Read earlier story on mayor's trip to China, Australia http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009 ... lia_t.html

    The Nagins and four City Hall staff members left Friday for the 10-day trip to China and Australia aimed at luring industry to New Orleans and discussing government's role in mitigating climate change, his office said. The three, who were quarantined as a pre-caution, were sitting close to a passenger who showed "signs and symptoms of an influenza-like illness suspected to be of the H1N1 subtype," according to a statement from Ceeon D. Quiett, Nagin's director of communications.

    But the three are symptom-free and are "being treated with utmost courtesy by Chinese officials," Quiett said. She said she didn't know how long they would be quarantined.

    Shanghai medical officials notified the group on Sunday afternoon Shanghai time, by the time Nagin had completed a few meetings, Quiett said.

    The passenger, who was not identified, has been quarantined and is being treated, Quiett said.

    The three other city employees -- James Ross, deputy chief of the press office; Economic Development Director Ernest Gethers and Director of international relations Lisa Ponce de Leon, -- were not sitting close to the passenger, and not quarantined, Quiett said.

    Quiett said she didn't know how many others on the flight were quarantined at a designated location other than Nagin, his wife and the security detail.

    Before the economic development trip, Nagin's office released a bare-bones agenda, saying Nagin was slated to meet with "four prospects interested in the possibility of locating their businesses in New Orleans."

    Ross said recently that the United States Studies Centre of the University of Sydney would foot the bill for two days of the trip. The mayor is scheduled to headline an academic program at the school, the longtime scholastic home of Ed Blakely, whose shaky tenure as the city's recovery director wraps up this month.

    As part of an arrangement to "borrow" Blakely from the university, Nagin agreed in 2007 to pay the school $100,000 from a city-controlled charity fund. As recovery chief, Blakely earned an annual salary of about $150,000 paid by city taxpayers, plus 50 percent of his university salary.

    Quiett on Friday didn't provide any additional information about how the group intended to spend the other eight scheduled days of the international excursion, such as where the contingent was scheduled to travel within China, or which individuals or companies are underwriting accommodations.

    She said various hosts are covering travel expenses, adding that meetings not affiliated with the sponsors' events will be billed to the city.

    Quiett vowed to share highlights as they become available.

    "Speeches, locations, and photos will be provided as we have done before on international business trips," she said.

    By mid-week, Nagin is scheduled to travel to Sydney, Australia, where he is to deliver a keynote address and lead a panel discussion on climate change at the 2009 National Summit of the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

    But as a result of the recent events, Nagin's travel schedule may be altered, Sunday's statement said.

    Nagin "is feeling well and continues to be in communication with his staff," according to the statement. Nagin was scheduled to return to New Orleans on June 15. Until then, his chief administrative officer, Brenda Hatfield, will serve as the city's top executive, Quiett said.

    Darran Simon can be reached at dsimon@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3386.

    http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009 ... tined.html
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  2. #2
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    Wouldn't it be cheaper for taxpayers if the mayor and staff did some closed-circuit teleconferencing, some emailing and faxing. Nice that beleaguered taxpayers in the city are paying for this junket!
    China can keep him.
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  3. #3
    Senior Member AirborneSapper7's Avatar
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    exactly what I was thinking... this looks more like an extravaganza on the tax payers dime
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  4. #4
    Senior Member vmonkey56's Avatar
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    Might be a trip he and others will wish they had never taken? Were they around others with the swine flu? Some people think nothing can bother them. VP Biden said, don't take public transportation.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member Bowman's Avatar
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    Ooooo, I just wish China would quarantine Nappy!!! Since you know, she doesn't care how much Mexican flu we have in the USA.
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