The Costa Rica News (TCRN) – Two missionary nuns from the Democratic Republic of the Congo are in quarantine in El Salvador since last Monday, an official said today.
The two nuns arrived Monday at 17.45 local time (23.45 GMT) at the Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport, located about 44 miles south of San Salvador, said Health Minister, Violeta Menjivar, in a meeting with the press international, but she did not specify the nationality of the missionaries.
“Currently there are quarantined in a place to be determined by the Catholic church, and that they are being attended to daily. They are healthy, but they are being quarantined as a preventative measure against Ebola,” she added.
Two Salvadoran military officers were also quarantined for 21 days between August and September after arriving from Liberia even though they were not infected with Ebola.
In six months, the new outbreak of the disease has infected 6,553 people and has killed 3,100, mostly in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
This outbreak has become the largest epidemic of Ebola ever recorded since the virus was discovered in 1976.
On the American continent, the first recorded case of this disease was in the United States, which has concerned the Salvadoran authorities.
Menjivar also noted that El Salvador has a national plan to prevent and contain Ebola, which includes a “reception protocol” of people entering the country from Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, since these three places are the most affected.
There are 350 biosecurity teams biosecurity who will jump into action in case a threat is detected in the country.
Menjivar said, “You cannot ignore the problem, especially since it has already reached America.”
She stated that at least 125 Salvadorans health professionals are willing to volunteer to go to Africa to fight Ebola, but said that it depends on the conditions put forth by the United Nations.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose, Costa Rica
