Jamaica bans visitors from Ebola-hit nations

Jamaica has ordered an immediate ban on people who have travelled through Ebola-affected countries of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone.

The Ministry of National Security in a statement said the ban covers persons traveling directly or indirectly, from or through the three West African countries.

News of the ban comes as opposition Republican politicians in the United States called on President Barack Obama to impose a similar ban, after two nurses who cared for Liberian patient Thomas Eric Duncan contracted the virus.

Aside from Jamaica, another South American country, Guyana, has denied entry to citizens from the including Nigeria, for the past five weeks.

Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia and St. Lucia took similar steps earlier this week.

President Obama has so far resisted the call for a ban, saying experts have told him a total travel ban is not the way to go because current screening measures on travelers are working.

Meanwhile the director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Thomas Frieden has cautioned Congress that a ban could only make the crisis worse.

He said some West Africans have US passports, and that others could come into the country without revealing their point of origin, making it difficult to trace them.

ALJAZEERA