Dear Colleagues,
I want to share with you what we are doing to protect staff in countries affected by the current Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. We are continuously monitoring this situation and will respond appropriately to protect staff in neighboring countries, which are not currently at risk, should the situation change.
Projects/Staff in Affected Countries
Liberia: AIRS project, three staff—two Liberians, one third country national. All are healthy.
Guinea: No projects; recently won a project there, which has not yet started
Sierra Leone: No projects
Actions
Staff: Our staff in Liberia work out of the office of the National Malaria Control Project, which has been closed. We are working to evacuate our TCN employee in Liberia as soon as possible, as the civil situation there is becoming more difficult.
Prevention: Please review the attached document on how to minimize the risk of contracting Ebola. The virus is hard to contract if precautions are followed, because it is only carried through bodily fluids, including blood, sweat and saliva.
Travel to Affected Countries: All travel to the affected countries is cancelled until further notice.
Travel to Surrounding Countries: Travel to surrounding countries will continue. There have been no reported cases outside of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone except for one person travelling from Liberia to Nigeria. The case was quickly contained and no other cases have been reported in Nigeria.
We are monitoring this situation 24/7 and will communicate any changes in guidance as warranted. If you are scheduled to travel to a neighboring country and have reservations about safety, please speak to your supervisor. No one who is concerned about their safety will be asked to travel to a neighboring country.
Questions: Please email David Rolph, our director of Global Security, david_rolph@abtassoc.com and cc Sarah Dedic, sarah_dedic@abtassoc.com with any questions you have about the status of the outbreak. They are in constant touch with government agencies and industry colleagues.
Best Regards,
Jay
Jay L. Knott | Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer | Abt Associates
O: 301-347-5896| F: 301-828-9739 | www.abtassociates.com
Note: this email was sent BCC: All Staff Abt, All Abt JTA