Nairobi, Kenya. Seven American aid workers who responded to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo are in a Kenyan isolation facility under a 21-day quarantine, according to Samaritan’s Purse.
Travel restrictions
The quarantine follows a new US policy requiring American citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo to spend three weeks in a third country before entering the United States.
Franklin Graham, president and chief executive of Samaritan’s Purse, said the organisation had seven American Disaster Assistance Response Team staff members at the facility.
“None of them have any symptoms, but they are being quarantined by the Kenyan government for 21 days,” Graham told Reuters.
Facility controversy
The US government-built bio-isolation unit is located at an air force base in central Kenya and is intended for Americans exposed to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Uganda.
The facility has drawn criticism from some Kenyans, who have accused the United States of transferring the health risks associated with caring for Ebola patients.
Last month, Kenya’s health minister announced an immediate halt to construction of the unit after being found guilty of contempt of court for failing to comply with local court orders suspending work on the facility.