The US has temporarily banned its citizens from returning from Congo due to the Ebola outbreak
Kyiv • UNN
The Trump administration has imposed temporary restrictions on the return of Americans from Congo due to the Ebola outbreak. US citizens must spend 21 days in a third country before departure.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed temporary restrictions prohibiting American citizens from returning to the country on commercial flights from the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to a massive Ebola outbreak. Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
According to the agency, U.S. citizens who are in the Congo or have recently left the country will not be able to fly to the United States until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country. The restrictions are imposed under U.S. transportation law. According to the White House, about two dozen Americans were scheduled to fly to the U.S. on Tuesday, but their travel has now been postponed.
The decision was made amid the rapid spread of the Ebola outbreak in the Congo. According to official data, 1,926 cases of the disease have been confirmed in the country, of which 702 have been fatal. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed the corresponding order, noting that the virus is spreading to areas located just a few hours' drive from the country's capital, Kinshasa.
Earlier, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that an American humanitarian worker in the Congo had been infected with the Bundibugyo ebolavirus. He was hospitalized in Germany for treatment. The U.S. State Department said it would provide support to American citizens who cannot immediately return home due to the new restrictions.