US considering quarantine for returning Ebola health workers

UNITED NATIONS -- The Chinese contingent of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) will help build an Ebola Quarantine and Control Center in the capital city of Monrovia, a UN spokesperson said here Tuesday.

Stephane Dujarric told a regular briefing at the UN headquarters that project will take 21 days to complete.

He noted that of the 44 UNMIL personnel who have been quarantined following two infections in the mission, 42 have completed their quarantine period. The two remaining members are expected to complete the quarantine period by Nov. 1.

The Ebola epidemic has resulted in the death of two UNMIL members in the past weeks. The peacekeeping mission said that it has conducted immediate and robust contact tracing and quarantine measures.

Established in 2003, UNMIL has a mandate to support the Liberian government to solidify peace and stability and to protect civilians. It has around 6,000 military troops and police.

Last week, China pledged a new batch of aid worth 82 million U. S. dollars to help West Africa fight the Ebola outbreak, making the total Chinese aid to the region for combatting the deadly disease reach 122 million dollars.

The new batch of Chinese aid includes offering cash and materials and sending health experts to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea -- the three hardest-hit countries in the Ebola crisis. China will build a 100-bed treatment center in Liberia where the epidemic is most serious and send doctors and nurses there for its operation.