Washington DC - The US will not allow anyone afflicted with the highly dangerous Ebola virus spreading in central Africa to enter the country, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.

"We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States," Rubio vowed during a cabinet meeting convened by President Donald Trump at the White House.

Rubio added that the State Department and other agencies "are working very, very hard" to contain the crisis, whose epicenter is in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

His remarks came as the Trump administration worked to open a treatment facility for US citizens in Kenya, instead of facilitating their return for medical assistance on American soil, as has been done in previous Ebola outbreaks.

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Asked to comment on the Wall Street Journal's report about the Kenya operation, a Trump administration official confirmed to AFP that the "state-of-the-art facility" was being set up.

"The facility is designed to provide access to high-quality care for Americans who would need to quickly get out of DRC and quarantine without the risks of a lengthy transport back to the US," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Patients will have access to a "full-spectrum" of care for Ebola Virus Disease, the official said, while adding that "each case will be evaluated for forward transport for more advanced care as appropriate in order to maximize patient outcomes."

The Wall Street Journal reported that the facility was still awaiting approval from Kenyan authorities.