The United States announced Wednesday that Americans returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be required to spend 21 days in a third country before they can re-enter the United States, a move the government is linking to concerns over the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the region.
The new restrictions were posted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a website update dated July 14. The rules also extend to certain travelers coming from Uganda and South Sudan. Travelers from those countries not covered by the new restrictions will continue to be screened at airports, a practice that has been in place for several months.
The CDC noted that exceptions could be considered on an individual basis for humanitarian or law-enforcement purposes.
Reuters broke news of the policy on Tuesday, reporting that the Trump administration had moved to prevent Americans in Congo from boarding commercial flights headed to the United States.
Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a former senior CDC official who oversaw the agency’s response to the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, weighed in on Tuesday, saying the use of a so-called “do-not-board” policy to keep U.S. citizens out of the country when their risk of Ebola infection is minimal has no historical precedent.
“This change in policy risks shifting medical and public-health responsibility to third countries, it may encourage travelers to conceal itineraries or exposures, and it will make recruitment of American outbreak responders more difficult,” he said.
The CDC and other federal agencies had already put in place an order earlier this spring barring non-citizens — including those with extended legal status — from traveling directly to the U.S. from any of the three countries. Those individuals were also required to complete a 21-day stay in another country first.
Prior to this new policy, American citizens had been permitted to arrive at select U.S. airports, where they were evaluated by officials based on their travel history, body temperature, and any symptoms they might be experiencing.
The Ebola outbreak in Congo has produced more than 1,900 confirmed cases and more than 700 deaths, based on official figures, with all cases connected to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
The CDC has confirmed that no cases tied to this outbreak have been identified in the United States, and the overall risk to the American public and to travelers remains low.
