Kenyan court orders suspension of US plan for Ebola quarantine facility

Kenyan court ordered the temporary suspension of a plan for the United States to set up an Ebola quarantine facility in the country after a lawsuit argued the site could endanger public health. The court barred the government from admitting anyone exposed to or infected by Ebola under the planned agreement until a challenge brought by the Katiba Institute legal advocacy group was resolved. The order was issued late on Thursday by Kenyan High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi.

The plan involved a 50-bed unit at an air force base in central Kenya, intended for Americans exposed to the virus but still asymptomatic. The facility was expected to become operational on Friday. Patients who developed symptoms would be sent for care in other countries outside the U.S., according to U.S. officials. Kenya's government provided written approval for the plan on Thursday. The U.S. State Department said on Thursday it would commit $13.5 million toward Kenya's Ebola preparedness efforts. The Katiba Institute said in its lawsuit that the quarantine plan "raises grave constitutional concerns regarding the rights to life, health, fair administrative action, public participation, and parliamentary oversight". Kenya's main medical union threatened on Thursday to initiate industrial action unless the terms of the agreement with the U.S. government were released within 48 hours.

The Trump administration has said it "cannot and will not allow" any cases of Ebola to enter the country.