Cote d’Ivoire’s government on Friday in Abidjan said it has banned vessels from Ebola affected countries from entering its ports.
This is contained in a statement by the Technical Adviser to the Director-General of the Port of Abidjan, Patrice N’gbala which was made available to newsmen.
The statement said the decision was part of measures being taking by the government to avoid the spread of the virus.
It said that the port authorities have been directed to ensure proper scrutiny of passengers onboard all vessels entering the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Ivorian government on Aug. 11 banned direct flights to and from countries affected by the virus.
Cote d’Ivoire’s government had also said that that it would undertake border surveillance and other preventive measures to stop the spread of Ebola in the country.
NAN further reports that the Ivorian government recently banned the sale and consumption of bush meats across the country.
Ebola fever, a contagious disease whose cure has yet to be discovered appeared for the first time in a northern town of former Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976.
The World Health Organisation said the disease which resurfaced in Guinea in December 2013, had spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.
The death toll from the outbreak has risen to more than 1,000 with no fewer than 1,711 detected cases. (NAN).