Caribbean country joins Guyana and Trinidad in imposing bans on
travellers from Ebola - stricken West African countries .
travellers from Ebola - stricken West African countries .
Jamaica has ordered an immediate ban on people who have traveled
through the Ebola - affected countries of Liberia , Guinea, and Sierra Leone ,
joining a growing number of states to impose such restrictions .
through the Ebola - affected countries of Liberia , Guinea, and Sierra Leone ,
joining a growing number of states to impose such restrictions .
The ministry of national security said in a statement on Thursday that the
ban covered " certain persons traveling directly or indirectly , from or
through " those West African countries, where nearly 4 , 500 people have
died of the disease .
ban covered " certain persons traveling directly or indirectly , from or
through " those West African countries, where nearly 4 , 500 people have
died of the disease .
News of the ban comes as opposition Republican politicians in the United
States called on President Barack Obama to impose a similar ban , after
two nurses who cared for Liberian patient Thomas Eric Duncan contracted
the virus . Duncan later died of the disease .
Aside from Jamaica , another South American country , Guyana, said it had
denied entry to citizens from the West African states, as well as Nigeria ,
for the past five weeks . Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia and St. Lucia
took similar steps earlier this week.
denied entry to citizens from the West African states, as well as Nigeria ,
for the past five weeks . Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia and St. Lucia
took similar steps earlier this week.
Obama has so far resisted the call for a ban , saying on Thursday that
experts have told him "a flat- out travel ban is not the way to go "
because current screening measures on travelers are working .
At a White House meeting , Obama said he is considering appointing an
Ebola "czar " as the lead US coordinator in the effort to contain the virus .
Ebola "czar " as the lead US coordinator in the effort to contain the virus .
He also signed an order calling up military reservists to help the
government 's anti - Ebola operation.
Earlier on Thursday, Thomas Frieden , director of the US Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention , cautioned Congress members that a ban
could only make the crisis worse .
He said some West Africans have US passports, and that others could
come into the country without revealing their point of origin , making it
harder to trace them .
'Burning building'
Closing national borders to people from countries hit hardest by the Ebola
outbreak is " not an effective strategy" for stopping the deadly disease, the
president of the World Bank said on Thursday .
come into the country without revealing their point of origin , making it
harder to trace them .
'Burning building'
Closing national borders to people from countries hit hardest by the Ebola
outbreak is " not an effective strategy" for stopping the deadly disease, the
president of the World Bank said on Thursday .
There is only one way to end the Ebola crisis , which is to stop the spread
of the disease in its origin , the World Bank 's Jim Yong Kim told the
Reuters news agency .
" All this talk about closing our borders . . . it 's as if you were in a burning
house , in your room , and you start putting wet towels under the door to
keep the smoke from coming in, " Kim said .
of the disease in its origin , the World Bank 's Jim Yong Kim told the
Reuters news agency .
" All this talk about closing our borders . . . it 's as if you were in a burning
house , in your room , and you start putting wet towels under the door to
keep the smoke from coming in, " Kim said .
The World Health Organization ( WHO ) has said it is focusing on 15
African countries to stop the disease.
Meanwhile, the European Union health ministers agreed on Thursday to
try to improve the systems put in place by West African nations to screen
departing passengers for Ebola , but disagreed on the need to check
travellers arriving in their own countries.
African countries to stop the disease.
Meanwhile, the European Union health ministers agreed on Thursday to
try to improve the systems put in place by West African nations to screen
departing passengers for Ebola , but disagreed on the need to check
travellers arriving in their own countries.
France said on Wednesday it would begin screening air passengers for
Ebola if they arrive on flights from regions hit by the disease, following
similar decisions by Britain and the Czech Republic . But other EU
governments have made no such move, as WHO regulations do not
require screening .
On Thursday, Dr . Isabelle Nuttall , a WHO director , said that the outbreak
is still out of control , and that the death toll will rise this week to more
than 4 , 500 from the 9 , 000 infected patients .
is still out of control , and that the death toll will rise this week to more
than 4 , 500 from the 9 , 000 infected patients .
" Our data shows that cases are doubling every four weeks , " she said ,
adding that cases were growing in Guinea's capital Conakry, while data -
gathering in Liberia , which has a significant under- reporting of cases,
make it hard to draw any conclusions there .
adding that cases were growing in Guinea's capital Conakry, while data -
gathering in Liberia , which has a significant under- reporting of cases,
make it hard to draw any conclusions there .
- Aljazeera
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