The East African nation of
Rwanda is requiring all visitors
from the United States and Spain
to self-monitor, fill out an
extensive questionnaire and
report their medical condition for
the first 21 days of their visits
because of the Ebola cases that
have surfaced in the two Western
countries.
Coincidentally or not, the new
screening follows an
embarrassing uproar in a New
Jersey school over the imminent
enrollment of two Rwanda
children that initially prompted
their parents to keep them at
home for 21 days.
The order by the Rwanda
government to visiting Americans
and Spaniards was posted
Tuesday on the website of the
U.S. Embassy in Rwanda:
"On October 19, the Rwandan
Ministry of Health introduced new
Ebola Virus Disease screening
requirements. Visitors who have
been in the United States or Spain
during the last 22 days are now
required to report their medical
condition—regardless of whether
they are experiencing symptoms of
Ebola—by telephone by dialing 114
between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
for the duration of their visit to
Rwanda (if less than 21 days), or
for the first 21 days of their visit to
Rwanda. Rwandan authorities
continue to deny entry to visitors
who traveled to Guinea, Liberia,
Senegal, or Sierra Leone within the
past 22 days."
The U.S. and Spain have both
recorded deaths from Ebola. In
Dallas, a Liberian national died of
the virus two weeks ago and two
nurses who treated him tested
positive for the virus. At least
two Spanish missionaries died in
Spain after contracting the
disease in West Africa. One
Spanish nurse also tested
positive for the virus.
Rwanda is located in East Africa
about 2,600 miles east of Liberia,
the closest of the three West
African countries with the Ebola
outbreak. Rwanda has been
unaffected by the Ebola outbreak
on the other side of the
continent and has reported no
cases of the virus.
The dust-up in New Jersey
involving two Rwanda children
took a new turn Monday with an
apology by the superintendent of
the Maple Shade School District
in Burlington County.
The children were supposed to
begin classes Monday at Howard
Yocum Elementary School in
Maple Shade, N.J., but ran into a
backlash from other parents,
WTXF-TV in Philadelphia.com
reports .
The uproar started after a school
nurse sent a note to staff
members saying that the school
intended to take the temperature
of the two students three times a
day for the next 3 weeks, the
normal incubation period for
Ebola.
The letter quickly leaked to
parents, stirring up fears and
prompting the school district to
post a note that their parents had
voluntarily decided to keep them
at home for 21 days.
But on Tuesday, the school
district changed course again
and apologized for its rash
behavior, noting on its website
that its schools have "become
the unwitting 'face' of our
nations fears with regard to
pressing health concerns."
"None of the actions that have
shined the regional light of
media exposure on Maple Shade
Schools was mean-spirited or ill
intended," writes school
superintendent Beth Norcia.
She says the school next week
"will welcome the new students
whose parents graciously offered
to keep them close this week."
She adds that the schools will
"consider the unintended
consequences of our messages
more carefully in the future. No
matter how well-intentioned, a
message that originated within
our schools created conflict and
concern within the Maple Shade
community. We offer our sincere
apologies."
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