St. Kitts and Nevis bars 17 Nigerians over Ebola public health concerns

St. Kitts and Nevis has stood by its move to deny admission to 17 Nigerian nationals, saying the matter was handled with serious consideration.

The Ministry of National Security said health officials advised the action, and that the government had a duty to safeguard public health at a time when Ebola concerns were elevated internationally.

Officials did not say when the group reached the Caribbean state. The ministry reported only that the travellers came in on flights operated by regional airlines.

According to the ministry, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has said publicly that Nigeria faces a high risk of Ebola being imported. That assessment, it said, was linked to active transmission in some parts of Africa and the movement of people through major transport centres.

The World Health Organization has listed the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a public health emergency of international concern.