To curtail the wide spread of the deadly Ebola virus, the Gambian Government has taken a proactive step to stop airlines, including Arik Air, from bringing inbound passengers from Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone into Banjul.
A Gambian government official told New Telegraph at the weekend that at the early stage of the contagion’s development across West Africa, the Gambian Government had taken the proactive decision to stop airlines from bringing inbound passengers from these countries, into Banjul. Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Arik Air, has equally suspended operations to Monrovia and Freetown effective today.
The airline through its spokesman, Banji Ola, told reporters that the suspension would be in force until further notice, adding that the decision was a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding Nigerians. The first Ebola virus death was officially confirmed in Lagos last week following the discovery of a Liberian national who flew on an airline from Monrovia via Togo into Lagos. “Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014.
The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians,” Arik Air said. It added that it took the important step as a concerned corporate citizen bearing the interest of Nigerians at heart.
“We acknowledge the steps that the Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus; however, we feel especially compelled to take the business decision to immediately suspend flight services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well-being of Nigerians,” it stated. Arik Air said in line with the actions taken by the Gambian Government, it expected the Federal Government to take all steps necessary to control and curtail the spread of the virus.
“We humbly suggest that as a first step, all inbound flights into Nigeria which originate from any of the Ebola affected countries, be immediately suspended,” he added.” The Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, a 40-year-old civil servant, collapsed on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last Sunday, health officials said.
His condition rapidly deteriorated before he died, said Abdulsalami Nasidi, project director at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, who attributed his death to Ebola virus. Sawyer flew from Monrovia, with a brief flight stopover in Togo.
His sister is believed to have died of Ebola in the last month. Officials at the World Health Organisation confirmed a sample from Nigeria was being tested for Ebola, but did not confirm the results. The death marks a new and alarming cross-border development in a disease that has spiralled into the world’s biggest epidemic, spread across three West African countries. At least 660 people have died in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since Ebola was first diagnosed in February.
The pathogen is passed through contact with bodily fluids of infected patients, and has no known cure, although chances of survival improve dramatically with early detection and treatment. Lagos State authorities said they had requested the flight’s manifest to contact the other passengers, and began distributing protective clothing to health workers.
NEW TELEGRAPH
A Gambian government official told New Telegraph at the weekend that at the early stage of the contagion’s development across West Africa, the Gambian Government had taken the proactive decision to stop airlines from bringing inbound passengers from these countries, into Banjul. Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Arik Air, has equally suspended operations to Monrovia and Freetown effective today.
The airline through its spokesman, Banji Ola, told reporters that the suspension would be in force until further notice, adding that the decision was a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding Nigerians. The first Ebola virus death was officially confirmed in Lagos last week following the discovery of a Liberian national who flew on an airline from Monrovia via Togo into Lagos. “Arik Air will be suspending operations into Monrovia (Liberia) and Freetown (Sierra Leone) effective July 28, 2014.
The suspension will be in force until further notice. This decision is a pre-cautionary measure aimed at safeguarding the precious lives of Nigerians,” Arik Air said. It added that it took the important step as a concerned corporate citizen bearing the interest of Nigerians at heart.
“We acknowledge the steps that the Federal Government of Nigeria is currently undertaking to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus; however, we feel especially compelled to take the business decision to immediately suspend flight services into the two Ebola affected countries due to our interest in the well-being of Nigerians,” it stated. Arik Air said in line with the actions taken by the Gambian Government, it expected the Federal Government to take all steps necessary to control and curtail the spread of the virus.
“We humbly suggest that as a first step, all inbound flights into Nigeria which originate from any of the Ebola affected countries, be immediately suspended,” he added.” The Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, a 40-year-old civil servant, collapsed on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos last Sunday, health officials said.
His condition rapidly deteriorated before he died, said Abdulsalami Nasidi, project director at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, who attributed his death to Ebola virus. Sawyer flew from Monrovia, with a brief flight stopover in Togo.
His sister is believed to have died of Ebola in the last month. Officials at the World Health Organisation confirmed a sample from Nigeria was being tested for Ebola, but did not confirm the results. The death marks a new and alarming cross-border development in a disease that has spiralled into the world’s biggest epidemic, spread across three West African countries. At least 660 people have died in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since Ebola was first diagnosed in February.
The pathogen is passed through contact with bodily fluids of infected patients, and has no known cure, although chances of survival improve dramatically with early detection and treatment. Lagos State authorities said they had requested the flight’s manifest to contact the other passengers, and began distributing protective clothing to health workers.
NEW TELEGRAPH
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