FIFTY-eight percent of Americans support banning all flights to the United States from countries experiencing an Ebola outbreak, according to a new NBC News study.
The survey, which was conducted by SurveyMonkey and then weighted for age, race, sex, education and region to match US Census data, found that Americans wanted a ban on incoming flights from West African countries such as Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. Twenty per cent of respondents opposed a travel ban, and the rest said they didn’t know. The survey was conducted on October 7, a day before the first person diagnosed with Ebola inside the US died.The survey found that 51 per cent of respondents said they were worried there would be an Ebola outbreak in the United States, and 30 per cent worried they or someone in their family would be exposed to the virus.ZIMBABWEZimbabwe Tourism Authority chief Karikoga Kaseke admitted that the virus scare had negatively impacted Zimbabwe. At least 30 buyers backed out of the 2014 Sanganai World Tourism Expo that was held in Harare, Zimbabwe mid-October. Hotel bookings upwards of $6 million have been cancelled in the country since the virus was detected in West Africa in July. This is despite that the fact that no Ebola was detected anywhere in the country. Among the buyers who cancelled their participation at the expo, 11 were from Europe, while others were from Asia like China and Malaysia. Egypt, Kenya and India are participating for the first time at Sanganai.According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 4,000 people have died from Ebola. Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea have been hardest hit by the outbreak. THE GAMBIAProperties in The Gambia are reportedly expressing concerns over a much shorter period to do business due to the shifting of the official tourist season from October to December owing to the outbreak.Many flights have been postponed until December as the visitors wait and watch the outcome of the Ebola in The Gambia, despite there being no cases of the virus detected in the country. It is a request of most African nations suffering from the loss of business that international media should be specific in the way they report about Ebola – they should mention the affected countries and not generalise it as an outbreak in West Africa.15 TO WATCHThe World Health Organisation has said it is focusing its attention on 15 countries to prevent the spread of Ebola, as the European Union announced a review of its entry policies and the disease was reported in the last untouched area of Sierra Leone. Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Senegal, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, CAR, DR Congo, Gambia, Ghana, Mauritania, Nigeria, South Sudan and Togo, are the 15 countries. WTTC urges US to invest more: