The federal government should pay back New York and other cities that have shelled out millions to deal with Ebola , U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said Sunday . In New York , which diagnosed its first Ebola case last month , the price tag has been steep , Schumer said . The city has spent about $ 20 million so far to quarantine and treat Dr. Craig Spencer , trace his contacts and make sure the disease does n't spread , according to Schumer , a Democrat . Spencer was released from Bellevue Hospital Center last week after weeks of treatment . Word that Spencer went for a jog , traveled the city 's vast subway system and went bowling before his diagnosis sparked fears that the number of Ebola cases could grow in the city , though authorities stressed that the risk of him spreading the virus was low . `` The world-class effort mounted by the city and Bellevue to fight Ebola was not cost-free -- far from it , '' Schumer told reporters Sunday . Spencer 's treatment was `` extremely expensive , '' Schumer said , involving about 100 workers . City health officials also ramped up operations to keep track of people returning from Ebola hotspots in West Africa and those who had direct contact with Spencer , Schumer said . `` Simply put , local communities , local taxpayers should not foot the whole bill for handling this infectious disease that may have been physically present in New York City , but was truly a threat to the whole nation , '' he said . Last month , officials in Dallas County , Texas , told The Dallas Morning News they 'd already spent more than $ 1 million responding to the Ebola crisis . County leaders there have also said they plan to request reimbursement , the newspaper reported . The Obama administration said earlier this month that it wants Congress to foot the bill for more than $ 6 billion in `` emergency funding '' to fight Ebola . That includes $ 4.5 billion for immediate response and $ 1.5 billion for a contingency fund , an Office of Management and Budget official told CNN . Schumer said Sunday that money should include a special `` Ebola Contingency Fund '' that would reimburse states and local governments for treatment and containment of Ebola . Obama 's existing appropriations request , Schumer 's office said , `` does not include any plan to reimburse localities like New York City in such a substantial way . '' Last month , the World Bank estimated that the cost of Ebola could top $ 32 billion over the next two years if the deadly virus spreads to more countries in West Africa .
Sen. Chuck Schumer says New York should be reimbursed for money spent on Ebola . So far , the city has shelled out more than $ 20 million for Ebola response , he says . Dallas County officials have also said they 'll seek reimbursement . Obama has asked Congress for $ 6 billion in emergency funding to fight Ebola .