Kenya Protests Saudi Arabia's Ebola Travel Ban, Calling the Measures Disproportionate
Riyadh has barred travelers from Kenya and stopped issuing visas to Kenyans. Nairobi says it has reported no new infections in more than 10 days.
See where this is ›NAIROBI, Kenya —
Kenya has formally protested Saudi Arabia's decision to bar travelers from Kenya over the Ebola outbreak, calling the measures “disproportionate and not supported by scientific health evidence,” The Standard of Kenya reported Oct. 31. The protest came in a diplomatic note dated Oct. 30 from the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs.
See where this is ›The Saudi Press Agency announced the restrictions, according to The Standard. They cover people flying directly from Kenya and people transiting through other countries if they stayed in Kenya, or in any country reporting an Ebola outbreak, within the previous 21 days. Saudi Arabia also suspended travel by its citizens to Kenya and stopped issuing all categories of visas to Kenyan travelers. It already has similar restrictions on travelers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.
The Kenyan ministry acknowledged Saudi Arabia's right to protect its citizens but said the current health situation does not justify the move. It said the ban would hurt Kenyan pilgrims, workers in the kingdom, students, trade and tourism, and that it “penalises a country that has been transparent.” The ministry said Kenya notified the World Health Organization within 24 hours, and it described the move as “hostile to Africans.”
Kenya asked Saudi Arabia to notify the WHO within 48 hours and explain its reasons, citing Regulation 43 of the International Health Regulations (2005). It also asked that the restrictions be reviewed within three months and said it will work with other affected African countries to raise the matter with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kenya's Ministry of Health says the situation “remains stable and under control,” with no new infections in more than 10 days. The Standard reported nine cases and two deaths in Kenya, all linked to a single cluster traced to an infected traveler from Congo, with no community transmission reported. The first 20 contacts have finished their 21-day quarantine and gone home, and the remaining 98 are expected to be released in phases starting next week.
Congo remains the center of the outbreak, with 10,351 cases and 5,026 deaths, according to the figures The Standard reported. Uganda has 20 cases and two deaths, and Nigeria is monitoring one imported case with no deaths.
What we don't know yet: Whether Saudi Arabia will answer Kenya's note or change its restrictions. The details of the note and the ban here come from The Standard; Watchman News did not read the Saudi announcement or the note itself.
