The State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards has clarified that the suspension of meetings, conferences and seminars held in hotels applies only to its staff, dismissing concerns that the directive amounts to a blanket ban on government functions.
In a public clarification issued on Saturday, October 10, 2026, the department said the measure was an internal administrative decision aimed at ensuring the availability of technical officers to support ongoing emergency response operations.
The department explained that the move is intended to prioritise emergency preparedness, contact tracing and response activities as health officials work to contain Ebola and prevent further transmission.
According to the department, the suspension will also facilitate the implementation of established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the prevention, preparedness and management of Ebola and other highly contagious infectious diseases.
The clarification comes amid heightened public health attention following the management of an imported Ebola case in Kenya.
The department emphasised that the directive should not be interpreted as a nationwide suspension of government meetings, conferences or seminars held in hotels.
It maintained that the restriction is limited to staff within the State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards, with the primary objective of strengthening the country’s emergency response capacity.
