EBOLA OUTBREAK: Ghana bans flights from Nigeria and other West African countries

Following the death of a Liberian victim of the deadly Ebola virus in
the country, Ghana has banned flights from Nigeria and other West
African countries, according toCajnewsAfrica

The Managing Director, Ghana Airport Company, Charles Asare, said it
was part of elaborate emergency measures the authorities were
implementing to prevent the virus from spreading into the West African
country.

Also, restrictions have been imposed on the movement of Liberian
refugees who are still at the Buduburam Refugee Camp in the country.

Ever since its outbreak, the Ebola virus has claimed the lives of over
600 victims in the West African sub-region.

Ghana also bans flight from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Ghana's Health Ministry also announced that efforts were underway to
establish Ebola treatment centres across the country.

The country's Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, advised Ghanaians
to be patient because government was doing its best to protect the
citizens.

"It is worth bearing in mind that preparedness is not an event but a
process," he said.

Though a suspected fever case which was reported at a clinic in Ghana
was negative, Ghanaians have expressed fear about the possible spread
of the disease in the country due to closeness to the four countries
where deaths have been recorded.

Governments in the sub-region are putting in place stringent measures
to prevent the further spread of the disease.

According to the health minister, the disease surveillance system in
Ghana has been placed on "high alert through intensification of viral
haemorrhagic fever surveillance, the field officers are on the alert
to pick, package and transport specimens to the lab for confirmation."

The respective health officers at Ghana's ports have been given
orientation in the detection of cases at points of entry.

"We have activated a system for screening all passengers especially
from countries that have recorded cases," Agyeman-Mensah added. The
health minister gave the assurance that his outfit was monitoring the
progression of the Ebola disease in West African nations.

But the Federal Government had said that there was no outbreak.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority, Mr. Fan Ndubouke, said that the agency was not aware of
such a development.

He said, "We are not aware of any such thing, we have confirmed from
Arik Air and Aero Contractors which are the two airlines that fly to
Ghana from Nigeria, and Arik has confirmed to us that they haven't
received such notice.

"We are still trying to get Aero to confirm, but I can tell you that
from NCAA's angle, there is nothing like that."

The Spokesman, Aero Contractors, Mr. Simon Tunba, told our
correspondent that Aero had not heard anything like that.

"We have not heard anything concerning such, and have not seen any
letter to that effect."

Efforts to reach Arik for comments could not yield as at press time.