Ebola Emerges in Dallas

CDC confirms first U.S. case of Ebola at Dallas hospital

The first case of Ebola in a U.S. hospital has emerged, and it's in Dallas. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that a critically ill patient had been diagnosed with the virus; the patient, who is in isolation, is an unidentified man at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas.

The man left Liberia on September 19 and arrived in the United States on September 20 to visit relatives. He fell ill on September 24 and sought medical care at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital on September 26.

After developing symptoms consistent with Ebola, he was admitted to the hospital on September 28. Based on the person's travel history and symptoms, CDC recommended testing for Ebola.

The City of Dallas issued a bulletin announcing that it's on "Level 2: High Readiness," and that the Dallas Fire Rescue EMS crew that transported the patient Sunday morning took all safety precautions and has been quarantined according to CDC and Dallas County Health guidelines.

"The city is working closely with Dallas County Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control after the unnamed patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas was confirmed to have the virus at 3:32 pm Tuesday afternoon."

CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said at a news conference that a "handful" of people, including family members and a few people in the community, have been exposed to the virus.

Ebola does not spread through the air; it's spread through contact with bodily fluids, such as blood or vomit. The illness has an average eight- to 10-day incubation period, although it can range from two to 21 days.

According to figures from the World Health Association, Ebola has infected 6,553 people and killed 3,083 in three countries: Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

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Holiday News

Amazon goes on holiday hiring spree with 13K open positions in Dallas

Houston, Interfaith Ministries aniMeals, December 2015, free Amazon Prime shipping for pet food

Courtesy photo

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Soon the holidays will be here, and that means an influx of seasonal work from Amazon, which is on a holiday hiring spree.

According to a release, the company is hiring 250,000 employees throughout the U.S. in full-time, seasonal, and part-time roles across its operations network.

More than 28,000 of those will be in Texas with nearly half — 13,000 employees — to be hired in Dallas-Fort Worth. (Houston will be hiring more than 5,100, Austin more than 4,100, and San Antonio more than 2,600 workers. Waco gets 1,700-plus new positions, and El Paso, more than 300.)

Those include a diverse range of roles, from packing and picking to sorting and shipping, available to applicants from all backgrounds and experience levels.

Customer fulfillment and transportation employees can earn, on average, over $20.50 per hour for those roles, and up to $28 depending on location. Interested candidates can see hiring locations and open positions at amazon.com/apply.

"The holiday season is always a special time at Amazon and we’re excited to hire 250,000 additional people this year to help serve customers across the country," says Amazon SVP John Felton. "Whether someone is looking for a short-term way to make extra money, or is hoping to take their first step toward a fulfilling and rewarding career at Amazon, there’s a role available for them."

According to Felton, a fulfillment or transportation employee who starts today will see a 13 percent increase in pay over the next three years, on top of offerings like pre-paid college tuition and health care benefits on day one.

Jobs in Amazon’s operations network include: stowing, picking, packing, sorting, shipping customer orders, and more, available in hundreds of cities and towns across the U.S., with a range of full- or part-time hours.

For anyone interested in learning more about what it’s like to work at Amazon, they offer free behind-the-scenes tours to the public at amazontours.com.

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