ABUJA, Nigeria: The Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in the country over the outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus.
In a statement issued by the president’s office, Jonathan “declared the control and containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria a national emergency.”
The president urged people to avoid large gatherings to prevent the spread of the disease. “Religious and political groups, spiritual healing centers, families, associations and other bodies should… discourage gatherings and activities that may unwittingly promote close contact with infected persons or place others at risk.”
Jonathan also ordered a number of measures including the establishment of new isolation wards, screening at borders and contact tracing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that more than 960 people have died from Ebola in West Africa this year, two of them in Nigeria.
The UN health agency said that there were 68 new cases and 29 deaths reported over the course of two days this week, bringing the total number of cases to 1,779.
