The United States has announced a temporary 30-day entry restriction for certain foreign nationals who recently travelled through the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Uganda, and South Sudan following renewed Ebola concerns in parts of Central Africa.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the restriction applies to foreign nationals who have been physically present in any of the three countries within the last 21 days, regardless of their citizenship or country of origin.
The move comes as global health authorities intensify containment efforts around the latest Ebola outbreak linked to the rare Bundibugyo virus strain, which has triggered growing concerns over cross-border transmission risks.
U.S. authorities said the temporary restriction was introduced under federal public health laws that allow the government to suspend entry into the country when infectious disease outbreaks pose a significant threat to national public health.
The CDC noted that the restrictions will initially remain in place for 30 days while health officials continue to monitor developments across affected regions.
- Despite the suspension, several categories of travellers remain exempt from the order, including U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, members of the U.S. military, and certain government personnel stationed overseas.
- The Department of Homeland Security and CDC also retain authority to grant case-by-case exemptions for humanitarian, public health, law enforcement, or national security purposes.
- The latest measures follow the declaration by the World Health Organization of the ongoing Ebola outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The WHO warned that there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment for the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, which is now spreading across parts of Central Africa.
The outbreak was initially confirmed in Ituri Province in DR Congo before infections reportedly spread into Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, after infected individuals crossed borders from Congo.
Health experts say the Bundibugyo strain presents additional challenges because most existing Ebola vaccines were developed against the Zaire strain, which was responsible for earlier outbreaks in West Africa.
