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CNN Live Saturday

Postal Inspectors in New Jersey Investigate Anthrax-Laced Letters

Aired October 20, 2001 - 15:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: More now on the anthrax threat. Postal inspectors in West Trenton New Jersey are retracing the steps of a mail carrier infected with that disease, trying to figure out the source of the anthrax. CNN's Jason Bellini is joining us now live from Trenton with their efforts -- Jason.

JASON BELLINI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, Catherine. The West Trenton post office remains closed today, this after the postal worker who was confirmed as having contracted anthrax. Postal workers this morning went about their -- prepared to go about their daily appointed rounds as usual, although the mail they delivered today was presorted for them from another facility. That again, because the post office is closed.

They have the option of wearing gloves and wearing masks. Most of them decided not to do that. Also, postal workers were encouraged to take Cipro as a preventative measure in case any of them came in contact with anthrax during their rounds. Some say they have; others have decided not to do that.

Also, on their own rounds today were the FBI, who went around the neighborhood of the infected postal worker. They, the FBI, knocked on doors, visited neighbors and asked them what they saw a few weeks ago, asked if they saw anything suspicious.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They just asked us if we got any like packages or anything like that, and if there was any cars with Florida tags on it too, and I was like, no.

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BELLINI: While the FBI is going around talking to people and continuing this investigation, they are not taking swabs of every mailbox along the route, along the route of 250 houses of this infected postal worker, but the investigation is going to continue and people are still getting their mail today.

There's -- the other developments in this is that there is another postal worker who's presumed, who may have anthrax, but has not yet been confirmed. But it's suspected that a third postal worker, this person working in the distribution facility, may also have anthrax. There's another person who's confirmed as having anthrax there, so it's a bit tense here today, but postal workers are going about their business.

CALLAWAY: All right. CNN's Jason Bellini. Thank you, Jason.

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