WASHINGTON — Parking an aircraft at a distant gate may help keep potentially infectious travelers away from the general public, according to a manual released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Airline crews are responsible for spotting and reporting sick passengers who might spread a dangerous illness, the manual noted, but health officials should decide whether to call police to help subdue those unwilling to be isolated. The manual also reminds airline staff to make sure passengers have water and access to toilets while they wait to see if they must be isolated after exposure to a sick passenger. ‘The best way to protect the public is to be prepared for the worst,’ Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said in a statement. ‘This manual will help airports, airlines, and local officials take steps now to get prepared, save lives, and keep our transportation network running.’ The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has the authority to decide whether to isolate or quarantine travelers who may have an infectious disease and those they have come into contact with. It has not had to invoke that power, but can do so in the case of […]