Australia suspends immigration from Ebola-hit nations

Australia said Monday it is suspending migration from Ebola-hit West African nations to try to prevent the virus from crossing its borders.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison told Australia’s parliament that the government had stopped issuing visas to people from countries hit by the disease, which has claimed nearly 5,000 lives in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

"These measures include temporarily suspending our immigration program, including our humanitarian program, from EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) affected countries," he said. "This means we are not processing any application from these affected countries."

People who had already been granted visas on humanitarian grounds would be able to travel to Australia, but would be subject to three separate health checks before departure as well as screening on arrival. But officials would cancel and refuse non-permanent or temporary visas for people who had not yet departed for Australia, Morrison said.

The restrictions came as an 18-year-old woman who arrived in Australia from Guinea 12 days ago with eight relatives remained in isolation in a hospital in the northern state of Queensland after testing negative for Ebola, authorities said.

The teenager, who was moving to Australia permanently on a humanitarian visa, had been under home quarantine in the Queensland city of Brisbane before she developed an elevated temperature and was placed in isolation at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital on Sunday.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young announced the negative results Monday, and told reporters that the patient "now has no fever, which is a really good sign.”

"She of course was very relieved to be given the information," Young said, adding that the teenager would remain in hospital and undergo a second test for the deadly virus on Wednesday.

"She understands that a second test needs to be done. But given that her fever has resolved at this time, and she's got no other symptoms, she's feeling well."

Three other families who arrived recently in Queensland from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are in home quarantine and being monitored by health officials, Young said.

"They've all come from sites in West Africa that have had … significant numbers of transmission of Ebola virus disease," Young said. "So they're at an increased risk, so that's why we've asked each of them to go into home quarantine."

The woman, whose name and nationality were not released, was the 12th person tested for Ebola in Australia, Health Minister Peter Dutton said. All have tested negative.

Morrison urged Australians and other travelers to inform immigration officials about their travel history when they enter the country "if you have been in West Africa up to 21 days prior to your arrival.”

Australia has come under criticism in the past for its immigration policies, particularly regarding refugees. Human Rights Watch says the country has damaged its civil and political rights record by "persistently undercutting refugee protections."

Al Jazeera and Agence France-Presse