Kenya's Ebola contact-tracing effort has entered its first release phase: 20 people finished 21 days of monitoring Monday, while 98 remained in quarantine as officials managed a nine-case cluster.
Kenya Health Ministry Director-General Patrick Amoth said the 20 were healthy and symptom-free when their observation period ended. They had been monitored because they came into contact with the index patient.
Amoth said eight other people fell ill while in quarantine, bringing the total to nine cases. Two patients have died, and the seven others were stable in care, he said. EconoTimes previously reported on Kenya's second Ebola death.
An Oct. 22 Ministry of Health update said officials had traced all 135 identified contacts. Amoth encouraged residents to welcome people cleared from quarantine back into their communities, saying they no longer posed a risk to relatives or neighbors.
He said the remaining 98 people would leave in four groups, with departures beginning Nov. 3.
