Moulton: Bar Africa flights if necessary

LYNN – Flights from Africa “may need to be shut down,” said congressional candidate Seth Moulton, to prevent Ebola’s spread in the United States.During a Wednesday endorsement appearance, Moulton said “proper screening procedures” need to be established to halt the deadly disease’s spread and said additional safeguards need to be taken until those procedures are established.”Passengers coming from countries where Ebola is spreading need to be properly screened. Until we can get people properly screened, we may need to shut those flights down,” Moulton said.After a weekend that saw workers at a South Shore medical center and at Logan Airport react to potential Ebola scares, discussion of the disease has dominated campaign appearances by Moulton, a Democrat, and his Republican opponent, Richard Tisei.Tisei in Lynn on Tuesday said the Centers for Disease Control must keep Americans informed about Ebola prevention efforts, adding, “I’m praying the CDC is going to be very competent.”Moulton, in Lynn on Wednesday to accept Service Employees International Union Local 1199’s endorsement, said “a two-pronged approach” must be taken to battle Ebola, including assistance in fighting the disease in Africa and finding a cure.The health care union, in a statement, praised Moulton’s “commitment to community health care.” Local 1199 represents more than 800 Union Hospital workers and 300 Lynn Community Health Care workers, said union spokesman Jeff Hall.”The work you all do allows people to live decent lives. We ought to enable you to make a living wage,” Moulton told about two dozen 1199 members who attended the local’s endorsement announcement.He spoke in support of preserving Union Hospital “as a full-service acute care hospital” a day after Tisei repeated his support for preserving Union Hospital’s existing services, saying “a city of 95,000 deserves to have its own acute care hospital.”Hospital owner Partners HealthCare proposed in November 2013 moving surgical beds out of Union Hospital to Salem Hospital and expanding psychiatric care at Union.That plan has not advanced to date through a required state regulatory review and state Sen. Thomas M. McGee on Wednesday said he will submit comments in support of maintaining full operations at Union in November, when he said a court review of Partners’ plans is scheduled.Moulton’s campaign spokeswoman on Wednesday reacted to Tisei’s claims that he is “two points ahead” of Moulton in polls.”We always knew it was going to be a close race but, at the end of the day, people are looking for a new kind of leader,” said Carrie Rankin.Tisei also took a swipe Tuesday at Moulton’s suggestion in a speech to supporters that the late Paul Tsongas’ success in reviving Lowell can be replicated in Lynn. Tisei claimed that Moulton, when asked, could not provide details on what former U.S. Sen. Tsongas accomplished.”He (Tsongas) acted as a convener to attract business leaders and others,” Moulton said, adding, “The approach for Lowell can be the same for Lynn.”Moulton said he can match Tisei’s experience running a real estate firm with his own business background, including managing a high-speed rail project and founding obesity treatment business Eastern Health Care Partners in 2013. Moulton said he cut ties with the business after launching his congressional campaign.