Trump admin plans to quarantine Americans exposed to Ebola at ‘high-quality care’ Kenya facility

WASHINGTON, DC: The Trump administration is planning to send Americans exposed to Ebola in Africa to a new quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya instead of bringing them back to the United States, marking a major shift in how the US handles deadly outbreak emergencies overseas.

According to reports, the proposed facility would be used for American citizens exposed to Ebola during the rapidly growing outbreak centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda. 

Trump administration shifts Ebola response to Kenya

The plan reflects the administration’s broader strategy of preventing Ebola cases from entering the United States altogether, even as health experts debate whether overseas quarantine sites can provide the same level of care available at specialized American medical centers.

“We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at a Cabinet meeting on May 27.

The US “is setting up a state-of-the-art facility” in Kenya for Americans who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus but who do not have symptoms, Trump administration officials said Wednesday.

Health officials are especially concerned because the outbreak is unfolding in conflict-hit regions where medical infrastructure remains limited and aid workers face security risks.

“The facility is designed to provide access to high-quality care for Americans who would need to quickly get out of DRC and quarantine without the risks of a lengthy transport back to the US,” one official said.

“Treatment capabilities at the facility are expected to be able to care for the full spectrum of Ebola Virus Disease, including critical care needs, though each case will be evaluated for forward transport for more advanced care as appropriate in order to maximize patient outcomes,” the official said.

The official added that the facility was being set up “through a coordinated effort” involving the US State Department, the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the Pentagon.

Critics warn Ebola policy could deter aid workers

However, the US has its own specialized network of hospitals that are highly equipped to treat Ebola patients, which some experts say would be better utilized.

Dr Krutika Kuppalli, an infectious disease expert and former medical director of the Sierra Leone Ebola Treatment Center, called the new plan “insane.”

 It will have “awful consequences,” she wrote in a post on X.

Lawrence Gostin, director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center on National and Global Health Law, said the outcomes will be worse for both patients and humanitarian workers.

The administration has argued the strategy reduces the risk of Ebola entering the US while also avoiding complicated international medical evacuations.

The government has also expanded airport screenings and introduced tighter travel restrictions involving several African countries connected to the outbreak.

Patients will have access to a "full spectrum" of care for Ebola virus disease, the official said, while adding that “each case will be evaluated for forward transport for more advanced care as appropriate in order to maximize patient outcomes.”

The Wall Street Journal reported that the facility was still awaiting approval from Kenyan authorities.

One US citizen who contracted Ebola in eastern DRC was taken to an isolation unit in Germany last week, along with his wife and four children.

The patient, medical missionary Peter Stafford, is responding well to treatment, the Charite Hospital in Berlin said Wednesday.