Canberra, November 4 (RHC)-- Australia has temporarily stopped processing visas for people from West African countries worst hit by Ebola in an effort to prevent the virus from entering the country. Australia’s Immigration Ministry said in a report to the parliament that the new rules would apply to Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said non-permanent or temporary visas already granted to people from the three countries, who have not yet departed for Australia, would be canceled. "These measures include temporarily suspending our immigration program, including our humanitarian program, from EVD (Ebola Virus Disease) affected countries," he said, adding: "This means we are not processing any application from these affected countries."

Permanent visa holders from West Africa will have to spend 21 days in quarantine before entering Australia. The restriction comes after an 18-year-old girl, who arrived in Australia from Guinea earlier this month, tested negative for Ebola after showing symptoms.

The media hype surrounding the epidemic, however, comes at a time when thousands of people in Africa and other parts of the world fall victim to malnutrition and contagious diseases on an almost daily basis. Mainstream Western media, though, pay very little attention to such issues.