Seven American aid workers who had been responding to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are quarantining at a U.S.-backed isolation facility in Kenya after the United States introduced new travel restrictions for travelers coming from Ebola-affected areas.
The head of a U.S. charity employing them told Reuters on July 17 that the seven workers are the first people to quarantine at the facility, which has generated significant opposition in Kenya and is at the centre of an ongoing court case.
Under the new U.S. policy, American citizens returning from the DRC, where an Ebola outbreak is ongoing, must spend 21 days in a third country before they can re-enter the United States.
The bio-isolation unit was built by the U.S. government at a Kenyan Air Force base in central Kenya to accommodate Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola while working in the DRC or Uganda.
Legal Battle Surrounds Kenya Ebola Quarantine Facility
The facility has faced opposition from sections of the public, with critics accusing the U.S. of shifting the health risks associated with Ebola response efforts to Kenya.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced an immediate halt to the construction of the facility after he was found guilty of contempt of court for failing to comply with court orders suspending work at the site.
Also Read:Â Kenya Among Countries to Receive New KSh2.6 Billion for Ebola
Although the High Court directed that activities at the facility be suspended pending a final ruling, work at the site has continued, with U.S. officials and satellite imagery indicating construction and preparations were still ongoing.
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the U.S.-based Christian humanitarian organization Samaritan’s Purse, confirmed that the seven Americans are members of the charity’s Disaster Assistance Response Team.
“Samaritan’s Purse has seven American Disaster Assistance Response Team staff members there,” Graham said.
“None of them have any symptoms, but they are being quarantined by the Kenyan government for 21 days,” he added.
A U.S. State Department official said the Americans, who had been serving on the front lines of the Ebola response, voluntarily moved to the Kenya facility as a precaution.
“Kenyan authorities have authorized their movement into the facility under the observation of the U.S. Public Health Service clinicians,” the official said, adding that the measure was taken “strictly out of an abundance of caution.”
Kenyan health ministry officials had not commented on the matter by the time of publication, while a senior Foreign Affairs official said they had no information about the quarantined group.
A source familiar with the matter said the seven arrived at the facility on Monday and are staying in tents fitted with army cots.
The source said some of the aid workers had treated Ebola patients at Samaritan’s Purse treatment centres, while others worked in support roles, including construction, with no direct contact with infected patients.
The source added that there had been one potential high-risk exposure among the group, although all seven remain asymptomatic and are being monitored throughout the 21-day quarantine. Kenyan authorities have also barred them from leaving the facility or traveling elsewhere in the country.
Duale Halt on Construction of Nanyuki Ebola Facility
CS Duale had earlier told the court that he had ordered an immediate halt to the construction of the proposed Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, in compliance with a prior court directive.
Also Read:Â Duale Halts Construction of Nanyuki Ebola Facility
Duale, 23, told the Milimani Law Courts that the proposed facility at Laikipia Air Base is intended to strengthen public health preparedness. He said the plan is based on scientific advice and is not intended to create a permanent incubation or isolation centre.
Duale further told the court that the government is fully complying with the court’s directives.
“I have directed the immediate and complete cessation of any intended construction, site preparation, or related activities concerning the Laikipia Air Base Ebola facility pending the hearing and determination of the court case,” Duale told the court.
Duale however, defended the planned facility at Laikipia Air Base, insisting it is grounded in scientific guidance and public health preparedness rather than any intention to establish a permanent isolation or incubation centre.
The CS Â emphasized that the government was complying with court directives, stating that all construction, site preparation, and related activities have been stopped pending the final determination of the case.
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