Could Florida handle an Ebola case?

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Following an executive order requiring monitoring for people coming back to Florida from Ebola-stricken countries, the state's Senate president, Don Gaetz, said he wanted some answers.

Gov. Rick Scott continues to press the issue of Ebola, but the state's Department of Health remains silent.

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There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in the state and no one is considered to be at high risk of contracting the virus. But Scott said he remains confident the state could handle a case of Ebola if it came to that.

A conference call briefing allowed Scott to continue taking charge on the health scare. And while the governor has put his face on Ebola preparedness for the state, there hasn't been much heard from the state's top doctor.

"During the governor's briefing, there will be a telephone number that will be emailed to each of our Senate and House representatives," said Sen. Don Gaetz.

Gaetz told lawmakers on the call that they would get a special number to talk to the state's surgeon general. The media however, wouldn't be invited to those calls. 

News4Jax has been reaching out to the Department of Health about Ebola since August. After another request was made for an interview Tuesday, we were told again that the surgeon general wasn't available.

State Rep. Alan Williams said Floridians aren't hearing enough from health officials.

"I haven't heard a lot from the Department of Health," Williams said. "I've been communicating with them but obviously the governor's running for re-election. So any chance you get to look like a leader, you take it."

Williams is hosting an Ebola town hall meeting Tuesday night to address his constituents' concerns. Legislators from around the state were encouraged to pass on information from the conference call to Floridians in their parts of the state.