TheCable

In a bid to prevent the deadly Ebola virus from affecting its clients, British Airways has announced a temporary suspension of its flight operations to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

The airline stated that the situation will remain that way until another review is carried out on August 31. It cited concerns for the safety of its customers as the reason for the decision.

“The safety of our customers, crew and ground teams is always our top priority and we will keep the route under constant review in the coming weeks,” the airline’s spokesman said.

“Customers with tickets on those routes are being offered a range of options, including a full refund and the ability to re-book their flights to a later date.”

Until the situation degenerated into the present level, the airline was operating about four flights between London and Monrovia, with a stopover at Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone.

Different measures have been taking to curb the disease, which till date has no cure or vaccine.

The United States announced on Monday that it would be sending about 50 medical personnel across West Africa to help battle Ebola.

The authorities of a university in South Korea recently withdrew its invitation to three Nigerian students to attend a conference in the institution, as some medical professionals also cancelled their trip to the West Africa amid fears of contracting the virus.

In April, the government of Saudi Arabia placed a ban on visas for Muslims in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia who wished to perform the pilgrimage to the holy sites.

However, on Tuesday, Saudi ministry of health announced a possibility of banning pilgrims from the affected countries from performing the forthcoming Hajj in the country, as a Saudi citizen got admitted in hospital after showing symptoms of haemorrhagic fever upon his return from Sierra Leone.

The World Health Organization on Monday said that about 887 people have died of Ebola since its outbreak in February.