by Brian Major
Last updated: 1:41 PM ET, Thu October 16, 2014
PHOTO: Tourists at St. Lucia's Sulfur Springs mud baths. (Photo by Brian Major)
St. Lucia's sudden and surprising move to ban travelers from three West African countries is "in the best interests" of this tourism-dependent country given the extent of the Ebola outbreak affecting Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, said the nation's prime minister and officials at St. Lucia's Ministry of Health.
"As a result of [the] deteriorating situation in West Africa, we believe that the decision to ban the entry of visitors who have a recent history of travel from Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone, is in the best interests of a developing country such as St. Lucia," Health Ministry officials said in a statement issued Wednesday.
St. Lucia's prime minster, Kenny D. Anthony, on Wednesday advised the island's commissioner of police "to implement with immediate effect, a prohibition on persons from these countries who wish to travel to Saint Lucia." As a result, travelers from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone will be denied entry into St. Lucia until further notice.
In addition, visitors from Nigeria will be required to present a recent medical certificate clearing that person of the virus. Nigerians will also continue to be required to present a current visa to travel to St. Lucia.
Ministry officials said the ban will reduce the risk of the public and health care workers in St. Lucia contracting the disease. Officials also "advised citizens against travel to Guinea, Liberia or Sierra Leone."
In comments to local media, Anthony said St. Lucia is a developing country that does not have the capacity to manage an Ebola outbreak. Because St. Lucia relies heavily on tourism it cannot risk having the virus enter the country, he said.
"Our own people need and require protection and I regret that we have to take that decision, but we had no choice based on the circumstances," Anthony told a local online newspaper.
Officials at St. Lucia Tourist Board on Thursday declined to comment on Anthony's statement.
Anthony said the restriction is temporary and the government will consider lifting the restriction "once the situation is brought under control and word has been given by the World Health Organization (WHO)."
He said St. Lucia has begun training health care professionals to respond to any possible threat of Ebola entering the island. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has also reportedly banned travelers from Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Guinea entering the destination.
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