Kenya Health Ministry Rules Out Ebola Lockdown, Says Country 'Remains Open' as WHO Backs No Travel or Trade Restrictions
NAIROBI — Kenya's Ministry of Health has ruled out a lockdown over the country's Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak, according to Kenyan media reports. "Kenya remains open, with no restrictions on travel, trade or public gatherings. Remain calm, stay vigilant, and rely only on official information," the ministry said. The World Health Organization expressed support for Kenya's response, including the decision not to impose travel or trade restrictions.
The ministry also publicized its outbreak hotline, 719. GSM reported on October 17 that Kenya's confirmed cases had risen to seven, with four new cases all detected while the patients were already in isolation, including three health workers who had treated the index patient; of 130 registered contacts, 128 (98.5 percent) had been traced and isolated, with two still being sought. The WHO has said there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, and contacts are monitored for 21 days.
Kenya's index patient arrived in Nairobi from Congo via Uganda on October 3 and died on October 5; his case is linked to the Ebola outbreak in Congo. (GSM, following Kenyan media and the World Health Organization)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：埃博拉治疗单元资料照片。照片：CDC Global，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0。File photo: an Ebola treatment unit. Photo by CDC Global, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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