(CNN) - Canada will stop processing visa applications from foreign nationals who have visited West African nations with large outbreaks of the Ebola virus, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said Friday.

Applications will be returned to people from Ebola hot spots who have already applied for visas, officials said in a press release.

The changes do not affect Canadians currently in West Africa, the press release said. Health care workers in West Africa will be permitted to travel back to Canada.

The action is similar to that taken by Australia several days ago.

"Our number one priority is to protect Canadians," Alexander said. "We continue to work with domestic and international partners to aid efforts to respond to the outbreak in West Africa, while strengthening our domestic preparedness here at home."

Also on Friday, the United Nations Ebola coordinator said it's not necessary to quarantine people merely because they come from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea.

"People do not need to be quarantined unless they have come into contact with people have Ebola or unless they have symptoms," said Dr. David Nabarro, U.N. system coordinator on Ebola.

Nabarro expressed cautious optimism about the apparent slowing of the rate of infection in Liberia, saying the numbers "look quite exciting right now."

But Nabarro put two caveats on his statement, saying that authorities "do not always have timely production of full data," and warning that "reduction in the rate of increase does not mean that the outbreak is under control. .... The outbreak ends when the last case of Ebola has been treated."

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power arrived in New York City on Thursday after a trip to West Africa and praised Cuba for sending health care workers to fight Ebola.


http://edition.cnn.com/2014/10/31/world/world-ebola-outbreak/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Wahalla hope nigeria no follow?

bumitek02:
Wahalla hope nigeria no follow?

Nigeria is free from Ebola.

First was Australia, now it's Canada. Who's next?

US are deliberating on their Own follow by UK then the rest will follow but God will Punish all of them