Judge Orders Maine to Let Nurse Go Out

Kaci Hickox can be in public places, but still must submit to monitoring
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 31, 2014 12:32 PM CDT
Judge Orders Maine to Let Nurse Go Out
Kaci Hickox, right, and her boyfriend, Ted Wilbur, take delivery of a pizza at their home in Fort Kent, Maine, yesterday.   (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Maine nurse Kaci Hickox won some freedom today: A judge ruled that she can go out in public, though she still must submit to regular health checks, reports the Bangor Daily News. District Court Chief Judge Charles LaVerdiere decided that the state, which wants her to stay home for the full 21-day Ebola incubation period, hasn't proven that keeping her cooped up is necessary. Hickox recently returned from treating Ebola patients in West Africa, though she herself isn't showing any symptoms.

The judge ordered her to notify state health authorities if any symptoms do appear and to coordinate any travel plans with them, reports CNN. This temporary court order will be in effect until a hearing takes place to determine whether a permanent court order is necessary. That hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. The 33-year-old went for a bike ride yesterday as the legal fight was unfolding. (More Kaci Hickox stories.)

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