Emirates suspends service to Conkary, Guinea over Ebola concerns

The Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates-based airline Emirates has suspended its service to Guinea over fears of the spread of the Ebola virus.

The announcement was made in a statement on the Emirates website. All flights to the Guinean capital of Conakry have been suspended until further notice. The company said that its services elsewhere on the continent will not be affected.

Those who wish to go to Guinea via Emirates airlines will be able to get no closer than the Senegalese capital of Dakar.

Bloomberg says that Emirates is the only major airline to suspend its operations in the countries most severely afflicted with the Ebola outbreak. These countries are Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Ebola has also been found in Nigeria, but it has not spread widely.

The carriers with the most routes in the region are Air France, British Airways, and Lufthansa, according to Bloomberg. They are screening passengers as they disembark from their aircraft for any symptoms of the disease.

Air France has also instituted extra precautions for those boarding flights in Conkary, Guinea, and Freetown, Sierra Leone.

These precautions involve a questionnaire to determine whether or not people may have come into contact with the virus. Passengers must also have their temperature taken before they can board an aircraft. They may only board an aircraft if their temperature is normal and their questionnaire answers do not raise any red flags.

Thus far, the Ebola outbreak has infected more than 1,400 people and claimed at least 820 lives, according to Bloomberg.

The nations of Sierra Leone and Liberia have declared states of emergency. This allows the government to deploy troops to enforce quarantines. Schools have been closed and public gatherings are now subject to severe restrictions.