Ebola: NCDC To Pay Quarantined Contacts N100,000 Weekly As Number Rises To 53

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said it is considering paying N100,000 per week to people isolated due to the Ebola outbreak to support their families and ease the burden of quarantine.

The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jude Idris, who disclosed this at a press briefing on Sunday, also said that the number of contacts being monitored following Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease had increased from 44 to 53, comprising contacts, healthcare workers, and domestic staff.

He said the weekly payment was a temporary measure, out of compassion, to reduce tension among those in isolation. At the same time, arrangements were being made for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to take over responsibility.

According to the DG, the responsibility for providing support to people placed in isolation rests with state governments.

Meanwhile, a suspected Ebola case in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has tested negative, providing some relief amid efforts to contain the outbreak.

Idris said the University of Abuja is also activating its isolation centre and making quarantine arrangements as part of measures to strengthen preparedness and response to the disease.

The index case is a 42-year-old Ugandan woman married to a Swiss national who arrived in Nigeria after travelling to Uganda.

Idris said establishing her complete travel history had been difficult, an issue that has implications for identifying and monitoring people who may have been exposed to the virus.