Five patients infected with the Ebola Bundibugyo virus have recovered in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), health authorities said Sunday.
Four of the recovered patients, all medical workers, were discharged on Sunday from an Ebola treatment center in Bunia after testing negative twice for Ebola, while another patient, a laboratory worker, had already returned home, according to the DRC's National Institute of Public Health.
The DRC Health Ministry said Sunday that 263 confirmed cases had been reported in the country as of Friday, including 42 deaths among confirmed cases.
Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Jean Kaseya said on Sunday that more than 1,100 test results were still pending as of Saturday.
The recoveries came as the DRC stepped up laboratory testing and case management in affected areas. DRC Health Minister Roger Kamba said Saturday that there were no pending samples awaiting laboratory testing, stressing that response teams were continuing surveillance, contact tracing, and case verification.
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was present in Bunia for the inauguration of a new Ebola treatment center and hailed the recoveries.
"We are still working on vaccines and treatments, but that does not mean that people cannot recover from Ebola," Tedros said.
5 Ebola patients recover as DR Congo reports 263 confirmed cases
France and Egypt on Sunday condemned Israel's continued expansion of military operations in Lebanon and called for respect of the ceasefire, following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement of the expanded incursion the same day.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Israel's military escalation in Lebanon in a social media post on Sunday.
Macron said that "nothing justifies" the ongoing escalation in southern Lebanon and urged the United States and Iran to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible. He also called on all parties to halt hostilities and reaffirmed France's continued support for Lebanon's efforts to restore its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Israel's military escalation in Lebanon, saying that the "blatant aggression" reveals premeditated Israeli intentions to impose a new military reality on the ground, in flagrant violation of international law, international norms, and the UN Charter.
Egypt reaffirmed its rejection of any infringement on Lebanese territory, renewing its support for the unity, national institutions, and territorial integrity of the Lebanese state.
On Sunday, Netanyahu said in a videotaped statement that he had instructed the military to deepen and expand its grip on areas held by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect in April. Despite the truce, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in Lebanon, while Hezbollah has launched attacks on Israeli military positions.
France, Egypt condemn Israel's military escalation in Lebanon
