world
DR Congo Extends Ebola Containment to Kinshasa After 47 New Cases
The government has banned mass gatherings in the capital and three other provinces to contain an Ebola outbreak that has reached 1,274 confirmed cases and 360 deaths. Opposition figures say the order is aimed at blocking a planned protest.
winnipegfreepress.comAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has banned mass gatherings in Kinshasa and three additional provinces to prevent the spread of Ebola. Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani issued the directive on Saturday after confirmed cases rose by 47 in one day, bringing the national total to 1,274 infections and 360 deaths.
The outbreak remains centered in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, more than 1,800 km from the capital. Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele provinces, which border the affected areas, are also covered by the ban.
Epenge, spokesperson for the opposition Lamuka coalition, said the measure was political because no cases have been confirmed in Kinshasa. "It is not legitimate. We cannot accept this decision," he told the BBC on Monday. Rodrigue Ramazani, secretary-general of opposition party Envol, urged people to ignore the order and attend a protest march scheduled for 8 July, calling the directive a political manoeuvre rather than a public health measure.
The demonstration is organized by the C64 coalition, which opposes a proposed law that critics say could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to remain in office beyond his two-term limit.
A doctor who tested positive for Ebola in France had passed through Kinshasa after working at a treatment centre in one of the affected eastern towns. The government ordered a 21-day quarantine for travellers leaving Ebola-affected areas the day after the doctor's test result became public.
Uganda has reported 20 confirmed cases and two deaths. The World Health Organization says conflict in eastern DR Congo, where the M23 rebel group controls large parts of North and South Kivu, is complicating containment efforts.
The current outbreak involves the Bundibugyo species of the virus, for which no vaccine exists. The head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that trials for new antiviral drugs could begin as soon as this week. Health authorities note the outbreak went undetected for weeks before confirmation, raising concerns it could become one of the largest on record.
