The United States is suspending entry of some travellers for 30 days to reduce the risk of Ebola spread.
Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
- The United States suspended entry for some travellers from affected African nations for 30 days amid Ebola outbreak concerns.
- The Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC has killed approximately 80 people and was declared a public health emergency.
- US citizens and certain other groups are exempt from the restrictions, whilst the CDC considers public risk low.
The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday that one American has tested positive for Ebola as part of their work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The CDC is working with the State Department to move the American to Germany for treatment and care, Dr Satish Pillai, the incident manager for the agency’s Ebola response, told reporters on a media call.
US implements temporary travel restrictions to curb Ebola risk
Despite the United States telling Americans the immediate risk was low, the country is suspending entry of some travellers for 30 days to reduce the risk of Ebola spread as international concerns rise over a new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the US CDC said on Monday.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order suspending the entry of travellers who have departed from, or were present in, the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan during the past 21 days, regardless of their country of origin, it said in a statement.
The order comes as medical personnel rushed to the front lines of the outbreak in eastern DRC after the World Health Organisation declared it a public health emergency over concerns the disease could spread further after two cases were confirmed in neighbouring Uganda. The outbreak is suspected to have killed around 80 people in recent weeks.
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The measures will not apply to US citizens, US nationals, lawful permanent residents, members of the US military, government personnel overseas, their spouses, and children, according to the order, which is in effect for 30 days.
Other exemptions include individuals whom customs officers determine should be excepted from the order, and non-citizens to whom it would apply but are approved to enter by the Department of Homeland Security.
The CDC said:
The risk of Bundibugyo (Ebola) virus disease introduction into the United States is heightened by the virus’ incubation period, which can extend up to 21 days, allowing infected individuals to travel internationally while asymptomatic and therefore unlikely to be detected through routine symptom-based screening measures.
It issued the order under Title 42, a section of US public health law that grants federal health authorities the power to prohibit migrants from entering the country to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
The agency said it would also screen and monitor travellers arriving from areas affected by Ebola outbreaks in the region and ramp up contact tracing, laboratory testing capacity and hospital readiness nationwide. It will also coordinate with airlines and port-of-entry officials to identify and manage travellers who may have been exposed to the virus.
The CDC will continue to deploy personnel to support outbreak containment efforts in affected regions, it said.
“At this time, CDC assesses the immediate risk to the general US public as low, but we will continue to evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available,” it said.
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