Ebola in Kenya: the first 20 contacts return home :: MalindiKenya.net

After three weeks of waiting and health checks, the first 20 close contacts of people infected with Ebola in Kenya have been allowed to return home. They have completed the required 21-day monitoring period without developing any symptoms, passing the necessary health checks to be deemed no longer at risk. This is an initial encouraging sign for the health authorities, who are working to contain the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has so far resulted in nine confirmed cases and two deaths in the country.

A further 98 people remain in quarantine; they will be released in four groups from 3 November onwards, based on individual assessments. The seven infected patients still in hospital are in stable condition and continue to receive medical care.

The Director-General of Health, Patrick Amoth, has urged the public to welcome those who have completed their quarantine without prejudice, emphasising that, having completed the observation period without symptoms and passed the necessary checks, these people pose no risk to their families or communities.

There is still a long way to go before the emergency can be declared over: 42 days without any new cases will be required, according to health protocols. However, the return home of the first twenty close contacts demonstrates that contact tracing, prompt isolation and surveillance can yield tangible results.

In an emergency that continues to keep Kenya on high alert, this is a first piece of good news: twenty people can be reunited with their loved ones and resume their daily lives, whilst the work of the health teams continues to prevent the virus from reaching other communities.