Liberia closes border with Guinea after new Ebola deaths

Liberia has closed its border with its neighbour Guinea after the country recorded at least 4 recent deaths from the deadly Ebola virus, Liberia’s Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe has said.

The Minister said the move was necessary as his country was not taking any chances adding the border will remain closed until the situation in Guinea improved.

“We have ordered the border with Guinea closed with immediate effect. The border will remain closed until the situation in Guinea improves,” Nagbe told Reuters.

We have ordered the border with Guinea closed with immediate effect. The border will remain closed until the situation in Guinea improves.

At least four people have died from Ebola in Guinea, prompting Liberia to close its border with Guinea. https://t.co/NZya0SDO93

— AJ+ (@ajplus) March 23, 2016

Authorities have confirmed that a team of medics with protective gear had been sent to the border to improve surveillance.

Liberia was declared free of new transmissions of the deadly virus in January.

Ebola has killed about 11,300 people in the two countries as well as Sierra Leone since late 2013.

There was global alarm in 2014 as governments and health agencies rushed to help contain the outbreak.