Learning the Ebola Handshake

Mazen Halabi sits in front of a spreadsheet tallying costs that have risen since the Ebola outbreak hit Monrovia in July. Halabi had plans to expand his business, Monroe Chicken, the only fast-food restaurant in the Liberian capital, and open a massive cafeteria-style eating hall serving both Liberian food and fried and grilled chicken. Those plans have been put on hold.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has set a goal of no new Ebola cases by Christmas, but with them continuing to be recorded, the future for businesses such as Monroe Chicken is uncertain. Many small companies and shops in the capital shut down; a Gallup and World Bank survey indicated as many as half the people with jobs, particularly in rural areas, were not at work. Foreign contractors and investors—along with their cash—have left the country. “If people are too scared to come into the country to resume their operations, there is going to be a problem,” says Halabi.