Sierra Leone News: Kenya lifts flight ban on ebola-hit countries

Politics

Ministry of Health in Kenya has lifted the travel ban on the three ebola affected countries of Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia as their citizens will now be allowed to travel free to Kenya. In August 2014, Kenya Airways cancelled all flights to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea after the Kenyan government restricted travel to those countries because it said that the ebola threat was underestimated. Kenya has now announced that it has lifted the ban, but they will continue to screen and check incase of a traveller who might get sick onboard a flight. Back in August an estimated 1,145 people had died in the affected countries and other airlines including Air Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria’s Arik Air, Togo’s ASKY Airlines, British Airways, Emirates Airlines had also cancelled flights although the WHO had advised otherwise. Speaking to the Star Newspaper, at the opening of a neo-natal unit at Kenyatta National Hospital last week, Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said that the travel ban will be lifted as Kenyan medical personnel working in the region have reported improvements in the fight against ebola. A journey from Accra to Freetown that once took just 2hrs on Kenya Airways is now a day long ordeal via Abidjan with stops in Monrovia, and then Freetown. Air Ivoire, is currently the only African airline flying to and from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea. A return trip to Sierra Leone from Ghana that once averaged $700 is now $1500 on AirIvoire. Despite these ridiculous price increases Freetown’s regional travelers would have been stranded had it not been for the Ivoirian President’s acceptance to allow Air Ivoire to fly there. The Gambia also just opened its borders to Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea after having closed sea, land, and air as early as May 2014. Wednesday September 23, 2015

Fill the forms below to register

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.