Rwandan authorities have closed their border with DR Congo for all people other than DR Congolese citizens leaving Rwanda after the third case of Ebola was confirmed in Goma.
The daughter of an Ebola patient contracted the virus, confirmed DR Congolese officials — making it the third case in the city close to the border with Rwanda.
“The tests on a suspected case at the Goma Ebola treatment centre came out positive for the Ebola virus. Investigations are still underway around this… case,” Dr Aaron Aruna Abedi, who coordinates the Ebola response for DR Congo’s health ministry, told Reuters on the phone.
The second case of Ebola in Goma died after he sought treatment too late when he was already bleeding, said authorities.
The first Ebola case is not linked to the second or the third, said authorities.
Rwandan state minister for foreign affairs ministry, Olivier Nduhungirehe, told Reuters by phone that the border had been closed at Rwanda’s nearest town of Gisenyi.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak an international health emergency after the first Ebola case in Goma was confirmed in mid-July. It was reluctant to do so out of fear neighbouring countries would close their borders with DR Congo.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said explicitly that no country should close borders or impose any travel or trade restrictions.
“The Congolese authorities deplore this decision, which runs counter to the advice of the WHO (World Health Organisation) on fighting the virus,” the DR Congolese presidency statement said.
