CHICAGO — Rarely one to leave anything to chance, President Barack Obama is playing it by ear this week as his administration’s response to the Ebola scare continues to evolve.

After waking up in his own bed today at his family’s home in Chicago, Obama plans to vote early for the midterms and attend a fundraiser for Democrats. How he’ll spend the rest of the week is anyone’s guess.

That’s because Obama’s schedule this week is a work in progress, in a departure from the normal practice in which the president’s schedule is previewed days in advance. The blank slate reflects the White House’s attempt to stay nimble, leaving Obama room to maneuver amid a public health crisis that has been anything but predictable.

Last week, Obama twice had to cancel planned campaign trips at the last minute to stay in Washington to focus on Ebola. This week, Obama is hoping to avoid such last-minute cancellations and show he’s singularly focused on the task at hand.

So even though it’s crunch time for the midterm elections, with Democrats counting on their president to help get out the vote, Obama hasn’t made any promises to campaign this week with candidates. Even the U.S.-led military operation against the Islamic State group may take a lower profile as Obama seeks to reassure an anxious public that stopping Ebola in its tracks is Priority No. 1.