U.S. diplomat travels to West Africa as Ebola quarantine moves take hold

NEW YORK (Reuters) - As the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations embarked on a trip to West Africa, new rules in three U.S. states mandating quarantine for health workers returning from the Ebola-stricken region drew criticism, even as some U.S. lawmakers called for a travel ban on the three worst-hit countries.

Samantha Power, a member of President Barack Obama's cabinet, left Washington on Saturday bound for Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Obama has resisted Republican calls for a travel ban on advice from health officials who say such a measure would be counter-productive.