Ebola outbreak interrupts Chinese companies in Liberia, but risk controllable

Passengers go through quarantine checks in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province, Aug 12, 2014. [Photo/CFP]

MONROVIA - The Ebola outbreak in Liberia has affected the operation and business of Chinese companies in the country, but Chinese workers remain safe and the risk is still controllable, said a Chinese diplomat.

There are some 1,500 workers with Chinese companies in Liberia and the impact of the epidemic on Chinese companies has gradually surfaced, Chinese commercial counsellor Xiao Mingxiang told Xinhua on Friday.

Due to the withdrawal of the medical staff of international organizations and the heavy loss of local medics, the Liberian medical institutes have come to a crunch, Xiao said.

Thanks to the strict protective measures the Chinese companies have put in place, their employees face little threat from the Ebola virus, but such tropical diseases as malaria and typhoid pose potential risks, Xiao said.

The security situation in Liberia has also worsened. Some people suspected to have contracted Ebola tried to break into complexes housing UN peacekeeping forces stationed in Liberia. The capital city of Monrovia faces shortage of supplies. Many drug stores were looted.