DFA says no Pinoy stricken by Ebola

MANILA, Philippines - No Filipino in West African countries was stricken with the Ebola virus, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the Philippine embassy in Nigeria, which has jurisdiction over West African countries, is in touch with the Filipino community and has advised them to take extra precautions, restrict non-essential movements and avoid crowded places.

The DFA said there are 880 Filipinos in Guinea, 632 in Liberia including 148 UN peacekeepers, and 1,979 in Sierra Leone.

The DFA raised Crisis Alert Level 2 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone last month due to the Ebola virus outbreak in Western Africa.