FORT KENT: A nurse who defied an Ebola quarantine in the state of Maine after treating patients in West Africa can travel unrestricted after a judge rejected the state’s bid to limit her movements.

Judge Charles C. LaVerdiere said Friday that Kaci Hickox must continue daily monitoring and coordinate travel with state officials so monitoring can continue. But the judge said there’s no need for further restrictions because she’s not infectious.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage said it’s “unfortunate” that restrictions were eased, but said the state will follow the law. The state sought to impose restrictions until Hickox’s 21-day incubation period for Ebola ends on Nov. 10.

In his ruling, the judge thanked Hickox for her service in West Africa and wrote that “people are acting out of fear and that this fear is not entirely rational.”

Officials filed documents Thursday, following through with a threat to try to isolate her.

Friday morning, Fort Kent Police Chief Tom Pelletier went inside the home briefly and said afterward, “We just had a good conversation.” He said he was not there to arrest or detain Hickox.

The quarantine attempt shaped up as the nation’s biggest test case yet in the struggle to balance public health and fear of Ebola against personal freedom.

Hickox, who returned to the US last week, has been under what Maine is calling a voluntary quarantine at her home in this town of 4,300 people.

She has rebelled against the restrictions, saying that her rights are being violated and that she is no threat to others because she has no symptoms. She tested negative last weekend for Ebola, though it can take days for the virus to reach detectable levels.

Gov. Paul LePage said state attorneys and Hickox’s lawyers had discussed a scaled-down quarantine that would have allowed her to go for walks, runs and bicycle rides while preventing her from venturing into populated public places or coming within 3 feet of others.

“I was ready and willing — and remain ready and willing — to reasonably address the needs of health care workers meeting guidelines to assure the public health is protected,” he said.

Hickox stepped into the media glare when she returned from West Africa to become subject to a mandatory quarantine in New Jersey. After an uproar, she was released and traveled more than 600 miles (1,000 km) to the small town on the Canadian border where she lives with her boyfriend.