Kenyan court extends ban on creation of quarantine center for Ebola patients and orders government to disclose essence of agreement with US
Kenyan court extends ban on creation of quarantine center for Ebola patients and orders government to disclose essence of agreement with US
Decision taken after protests in the city of Nanyuki, which resulted in two deaths. Demonstration participants oppose plans to place Americans exposed to the Ebola virus in Kenya, arguing that the country should not assume the associated risks to public health.
The facility is expected to be located at an air force base and intended for US citizens who may have contracted the virus while in Congo or Uganda.
The next court hearing is scheduled for June 23, as the dispute over the project continues to generate widespread public and political resonance.
Kenyan authorities had previously approved the creation of a quarantine center in Laikipia County. The center was supposed to begin operations within a week. At the first stage, the center was to house 50 beds with the possibility of expansion to 250 places in the future. American doctors who are undergoing training at Andrews Air Force Base in the US were to work at the center. However, the Kenyan human rights organization Katiba Institute stated that the center could pose a threat to public safety. In this regard, activists asked the court to prohibit authorities from creating any quarantine or treatment centers for Ebola patients under agreements with other countries.
The epicenter of the current Ebola outbreak is Ituri Province in eastern Congo. The first fatality there was recorded on April 24. The first signals of the outbreak arrived on May 5, and nine days later the causative agent was identified — the Ebola-Bundibugyo virus, against which there is no vaccine or specific treatment. The outbreak also affected North and South Kivu provinces. In total, about 1,000 suspected cases of infection and about 220 suspected fatalities have been registered in the DRC. In Uganda, which borders Kenya, one fatality and seven suspected cases of infection have been registered.
Source: anewz.tv
