Authorities in Uganda announced on Wednesday that the country's border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been closed due to Ebola outbreak.
The decision to shut the border "with immediate effect," was made by the nation's Ebola task force led by Vice President Jesca Alupo, following a surge of virus cases among Ugandan health workers who treated Congolese patients.
The infected Congolese had crossed the border before the outbreak was declared on May 15.
Uganda's permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, said travel across the Congo border will be authorized only in emergency cases, including for the outbreak response, cargo or security reasons.
She added that anybody entering Uganda from Congo under emergency circumstances will be taken into mandatory isolation for 21 days.
