DRC: Local authorities, church impose certain Ebola restriction measures

Despite the Ebola outbreak in Bunia, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, some families were determined to go ahead with their relatives’ weddings.

However, the local authorities and the church imposed certain measures that had to be followed, even though not everyone was happy about it.

Solange Hahati, a bride, said that they had invited 300 people to her wedding, but when they arrived at the church, the church authorities allowed only 50 people to enter.

"We realized this was a problem, and it was really difficult for us because we wanted to celebrate our wedding with all our friends", she said.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been facing a new Ebola outbreak since last May.

Congolese authorities, as of Thursday, have confirmed 452 cases with 82 deaths in total.

Seventy-one new cases were confirmed within 24 hours, which the authorities said is a sign of “active community transmission”.

The current outbreak in Congo is suspected to have infected over 1,000 people.

The number of confirmed cases is much lower because many suspected victims succumb to their symptoms outside hospitals and without firm proof they had Ebola.

To minimize the risk of infection, wedding organizers, local authorities and religious leaders have decided to cancel certain activities that traditionally take place during these social gatherings.

"There are no kisses, and we're keeping greetings to a minimum to avoid Ebola. We're not touching each other. Everyone goes their separate ways", said Benoît Nyange, a relative of a groom.

For its part, the Church has suspended activities such as confirmation, baptism, and ordinations.