Seven American aid workers returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo are undergoing a mandatory 21-day quarantine at a newly built bio-isolation facility in Kenya, according to The Guardian.
The 50-bed unit, constructed by the United States on a central Kenyan air force base, is being used for the first time despite a local court order demanding a suspension of the project.
Samaritan's Purse Staff in Quarantine
Franklin Graham, president and CEO of Samaritan's Purse, confirmed that the individuals belong to his organization's Disaster Assistance Response Team and arrived at the facility on Monday.
"Samaritan's Purse has seven American Disaster Assistance Response Team staff members there," Graham said.
He added that none of them show symptoms but are being quarantined by the Kenyan government for 21 days.
A US State Department official stated that the group consists of asymptomatic personnel who volunteered for the isolation procedure as a precautionary measure.
"A group of asymptomatic Americans who had served on the front lines of the Ebola response had voluntarily moved to the Kenya facility for precautionary monitoring and isolation," the official said.
The official emphasized that the movement received full authorization from local public health representatives.
"Kenyan authorities have authorized their movement into the facility under the observation of the US public health service clinicians," the official added.
According to an anonymous source, some of the quarantined individuals had treated Ebola patients in Congo, and Kenyan authorities are prohibiting the group from traveling elsewhere within the country.
