“We are taking this action today to ensure that we are prepared, in advance, to deal with any identified cases in which someone has been exposed to the virus or, worst case, infected,” Malloy said in a statement. “[I]t is essential to be prepared and we need to have the authorities in place that will allow us to move quickly to protect public health, if and when that becomes necessary.”

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The order declares a public health emergency in Connecticut even though there are no suspected cases of Ebola in the state.

Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have tested dozens of people for the Ebola virus, and so far only one person — Thomas Duncan, the Liberian currently in critical condition in a Dallas hospital — has been positive.

Texas officials have ordered four of Duncan’s family members quarantined for at least two more weeks, through the end of Ebola’s 21-day incubation period. State law gives health officials the authority to quarantine people to prevent the spread of any disease.