A Kenyan court has halted the opening of a U.S. quarantine facility for American citizens in the country after a local rights group warned the arrangement could pose “grave and imminent risks” to public health, The New York Times reported.
Here is the latest about the Ebola outbreak:
1. U.S. officials were set to open a 50-bed isolation center in central Kenya for Americans exposed to the Ebola outbreak May 29, but local lawmakers and advocates raised objections. A Kenyan high court judge barred the operation of any Ebola facility in the country by foreign government, as well as the entry of anyone exposed to or infected with Ebola until the case can be heard in court. Kenya was selected by U.S. officials due to its proximity to the outbreak, which would allow for timely treatment of affected Americans, U.S. officials said. Kenyan authorities originally approved the U.S. request to build a facility May 28, and authorized the U.S. to land at an air force base in Laikipia.
2. The U.S. is giving more than $80 million in aid to combat the Ebola outbreak, bringing the total investment in prevention up to more than $112 million. The additional money will be used for personal protective equipment for healthcare workers, Ebola test kits, support for health screening at airports and contact tracing, the State Department said.
3. In a show of solidarity with the affected local communities and populations, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus, PhD, arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital May 28, NPR reported.
“To come here is to really show to the community that they’re not alone,” Dr. Tedros told reporters at the airport. “Pushing orders from my comfortable office in Geneva is easy, but I’m asking my colleagues to work with the community and I am asking communities to protect themselves.”
4. Several countries have implemented travel bans in response to the Ebola outbreak. Uganda has closed its border with Congo. Canada, the U.S., the Bahamas, Jordan and Bahrain have implemented travel bans for people traveling to or from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. Countries like India, Mexico and Thailand have increased screenings for travelers coming from affected countries.
Dr. Tedros told NPR that he discourages countries from imposing travel bans against nationals affected by the outbreak. “There are ways to manage workers and to manage cases without having a strong, restricted travel ban and we don’t encourage that as WHO,” he said.
5. WHO convened several of its experts and advisory groups to consult on possible treatments and preventive medicines for the Bundibugyo virus. Currently, there are no vaccines or treatments for this strain of Ebola; however, the U.S. and U.K. sent an experimental vaccine to the country for use. WHO convened its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization and its Ebola vaccine working group to advise on the potential role of licensed Ebola vaccines during outbreaks, and identify products to be used exclusively in clinical trials.
6. More than 90% of all Ebola cases have been reported in Ituri province, with a small number of cases also reported in North and South Kivu. This is the third largest Ebola outbreak on record. As of May 27, there were more than 1,077 suspected Ebola cases and 246 suspected deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with 121 confirmed cases and 17 confirmed deaths. In Uganda, there are seven confirmed cases and one death.
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