United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has assured Americans that the government is taking strict steps to stop the Ebola virus outbreak in Central Africa from reaching the country.
Speaking during a cabinet session hosted by President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday, Rubio stressed that the US would not permit infected persons to enter its borders.
According to him, the State Department and other relevant agencies are intensifying efforts to contain the outbreak, which is currently centred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Trump administration is also reportedly working on establishing a medical treatment centre in Kenya for American citizens affected by the virus, rather than transporting them back to the US for treatment as done during past outbreaks.
A US official confirmed that the planned facility would provide advanced medical care and quarantine services for Americans evacuated from Congo. The official explained that the centre is intended to reduce the risks associated with transporting infected persons over long distances back to the United States.
Reports indicate that the facility is still awaiting approval from Kenyan authorities.
Meanwhile, an American medical missionary identified as Peter Stafford, who contracted Ebola in eastern Congo, was recently moved to an isolation facility in Berlin alongside his wife and four children. Doctors at the hospital treating him said he is responding positively to treatment.
Although Kenya has not recorded any Ebola case, authorities in the country are increasing surveillance measures as health experts battle a rapidly spreading strain of the disease in Congo.
Rubio noted that the US government has increased support efforts to ensure no Ebola patient enters the country and causes a public health crisis.
Under new travel restrictions, US citizens who recently visited Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the last 21 days will only be allowed into America through designated airports in Washington, Atlanta, and Houston, where health screenings will be conducted.
In addition, permanent US residents who recently travelled through those countries have been temporarily barred from entering the United States.
The World Health Organisation has so far documented more than 1,000 suspected Ebola infections and at least 223 deaths linked to the outbreak. However, health officials believe the actual number of infections could be much higher.