Expert: Global Ebola Pandemic Unlikely, but Strict Control Necessary Due to High Fatality Rate

In response to the escalating Ebola outbreak, Taiwan will temporarily ban the entry of residents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda starting at midnight on June 2nd. Infectious disease expert Lee Ping-ing stated today that while the possibility of a global Ebola pandemic is low, strict border controls are absolutely necessary due to the virus's high fatality rate. The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the risk level of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the highest level on the 22nd, declaring the outbreak in both countries a 'Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).' Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control has raised the travel alert to Level 3 'Warning' and requires travelers to undergo 21 days of self-health management. Lee pointed out that Ebola is transmitted through human-to-human contact and is extremely difficult to prevent. Even for healthcare workers, the risk of infection is high, so strict protective measures are required in clinical settings. Although travel between Taiwan and these countries is not frequent, Lee affirmed that the government's border control measures are necessary for epidemic safety.