The U.S. Embassy in Nairobi said that plans to set up an Ebola quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base in Nanyuki will not expose nearby residents to the virus.
In a communiqué issued on Wednesday, the embassy stated that it will follow all health security protocols and will work with the Kenyan government to strengthen measures aimed at preventing any virus spread.
“The bio-isolation facility in Laikipia is part of a holistic response to prevent spread of the disease and lessen health risks for the region as a whole; it does not pose risk to nearby communities,” the Embassy noted.
The embassy also said that the U.S. will partner with Kenya to improve border detection, deliver accurate testing, and strengthen responses in high-risk counties. It added that the health partnership between the two governments will help expand regional capacity to isolate and test people who show no symptoms, including Americans supporting the response effort.
The Embassy said it remains hopeful that the court case blocking the facility’s establishment will be resolved.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the United States, said that Kenya offers the best location to set up an Ebola quarantine facility for its citizens because of its closeness to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The virus outbreak began in DRC on May 15, and it has claimed 48 lives out of 321 confirmed cases.
Uganda’s Ministry of Health also reported 15 cases and one death.
In Kenya, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told Parliament on Wednesday that authorities investigated 22 Ebola alerts across nine counties and that all the tests came back negative. He said the alerts came from Nairobi, Kiambu, Siaya, Nyeri, Nakuru, Nyamira, Kisumu, West Pokot, and Bungoma.
“The national surveillance system has investigated 22 alerts across Kenya, and all have tested negative,” he said.
Duale added that authorities also investigated three recent alerts reported in Nairobi, Uasin Gishu, and Bungoma counties and confirmed that the results were negative.
The Ministry of Health also dismissed earlier reports of a suspected Ebola case in Kenya. Unverified claims suggested that a Turkish national entered a Kenyan health facility after showing Ebola-like symptoms.
Public Health and Professional Standards Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni said the Ministry and the County Department of Health handled the matter together.
She added that the authorities carried out the required tests and confirmed that the patient tested negative for Ebola.
“The patient was clinically assessed, appropriate infection prevention and control measures were implemented, and laboratory samples were collected and submitted for testing,” Muthoni said in a statement on Wednesday.
Muthoni added that epidemiological investigations and laboratory results showed that the case did not involve Ebola. She said the Ministry still maintained a high alert because the region continues to face an ongoing public health situation.
She also said that Kenya’s heightened surveillance systems continue to run nationwide to manage any suspected threats.
Muthoni said the government coordinates closely with county governments, health facilities, points of entry, and national and international partners to strengthen preparedness and response capacity for Ebola and other public health risks.
