New Entry Restrictions Amid Ebola Outbreak
The Trump administration has recently announced stricter measures for non-citizens entering the United States, particularly following visits to certain African nations affected by the Ebola outbreak.
On Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) broadened its entry ban to include green card holders who have traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), South Sudan, and Uganda within the last 21 days. News from Reuters indicates that Canada, too, will bar residents from these countries for 90 days starting Wednesday and mandate quarantines for returning citizens beginning May 30. This decision comes after warnings were issued about an Ebola outbreak in the DRC, although health officials in both the U.S. and Canada maintain that the risk remains low.
Uganda has decided to shut its border with Congo immediately, effective Wednesday. This move goes against the World Health Organization’s advice, which suggested that closure could inadvertently lead to unmonitored crossings, as reported by the Associated Press. The permanent secretary of Uganda’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Diana Atwine, stated that anyone permitted to travel under the state of emergency must self-isolate for 21 days.
Other countries have taken similar steps. The Bahamas enacted a 30-day entry ban for residents from the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan earlier this week, while Thailand also introduced a 21-day restriction for individuals arriving from these regions. Nations like Bahrain, Jordan, and Mexico have enacted their own bans or travel restrictions.
The Associated Press reports that the current strain causing this outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, does not have an approved vaccine or treatment. Suspected cases in eastern Congo are nearing 1,000, with at least 220 reported deaths. Congolese health authorities confirmed 101 cases on Tuesday. In Uganda, there have been seven recorded cases, including a 59-year-old man who died in Kampala on May 14.
Dr. Satish K. Pillai, who manages the CDC’s Ebola response, reassured reporters that the risk domestically “remains low.” According to records from May 19, the CDC is actively offering support in the DRC and Uganda, facilitating clinical training, establishing protocols, and collaborating with various health authorities.
Luc Brisebois, director of the Canadian Center for Border and Travel Health, echoed this sentiment, stating that the risk to Canadians is low, although the measures are driven by an abundance of caution.
Further, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has categorized the DRC and Uganda as “dangerous epidemic areas” as of May 21, according to reports from United Press International.
