Media react to NBC News’ Dr. Nancy Snyderman violating Ebola quarantine

Dr. Nancy Snyderman is taking the heat from the media after she and members of her NBC News crew violated a mandatory three-week quarantine after returning from West Africa.

Snyderman, who is NBC News’ chief medical correspondent, recently returned from Africa after reporting on the devastating Ebola outbreak there. One of her cameramen, Ashoka Mukpo, tested positive for the virus, and the rest of Snyderman’s crew agreed to a 21-day voluntary quarantine.

However, according to reports from TMZ and Planet Princeton, Snyderman and members of her crew were spotted outside the Peasant Grill restaurant in Hopewell, N.J., on Oct. 9.

After the reports, the New Jersey Department of Health made the quarantine, which is to last until Oct. 22, mandatory.

The reports of Snyderman, who acts as a voice of authority on health matters on “NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams,” violating the quarantine caused the doctor and journalist to issue a statement, which Williams read on the air Monday night.

The statement read, “While under voluntary quarantine guidelines, which called for our team to avoid public contact for 21 days, members of our group violated those guidelines and understand that our quarantine is now mandatory until 21 days have passed. We remain healthy and our temperatures are normal.

“As a health professional I know that we have no symptoms and pose no risk to the public, but I am deeply sorry for the concerns this episode caused. We are thrilled that Ashoka is getting better and our thoughts continue to be with the thousands affected by Ebola whose stories we all went to cover.”

That wasn’t enough for the women of ABC’s “The View.” On Tuesday, Nicole Wallace told the panel that Snyderman’s statement wasn’t going to be enough, considering her role.

“I think she made this worse for herself,” Wallace said.

Rosie O’Donnell said Snyderman’s statement was “crappy.” And Rosie Perez said, “Whether she knows if she’s infected or not, you just don’t do that. You don’t put fear into the public when you’re a public figure.”

Not surprisingly, her NBC News colleague, Matt Lauer, was more sympathetic. Asked about the incident by TMZ outside the “Today” show studio, Lauer said, “She’s already admitted she was wrong. I know she feels like it was a mistake and regrettable, and she’s back to quarantine, which is where she should be.”

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