More health workers go on strike as confirmed Ebola cases in Congo top 2,000, including 754 deaths

BUNIA: Confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo have reached 2,011, including 754 deaths, according to government data released overnight in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record.

Health workers at the Bunia General Hospital went on strike on Wednesday, the latest group to have walked off their job at the epicenter over payment issues. Health professionals and other frontline workers barricaded the entrance of the hospital, lamenting they haven’t received any compensation despite working under difficult conditions.

A total of 753 patients remain in isolation or in hospitals, while 366 have so far recovered, according to data from Congo’s Ministry of Health. Contact tracing remains a challenge, with coverage of those exposed still at 67 percent.

The Central African nation has been battling the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus since May 15.