US Bars American Citizens In Congo From Immediate Return Over Ebola Outbreak

The Trump administration has barred American citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo from travelling directly to the US on commercial flights because of the worsening Ebola outbreak.

A White House official said the order, issued under a transportation authority known as Title 49, places US citizens currently in Congo or those who have recently left the country on a “do-not-board” list until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country.

The restrictions follow the spread of Ebola to several provinces in Congo. Official data released late on Sunday showed 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths.

Ebola is a highly infectious viral disease that spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected people or animals. Symptoms include high fever, vomiting, and internal and external bleeding.

A US official said about two dozen Americans were due to board flights to the US on Tuesday after travelling to Congo. The State Department will support them and others affected during the mandatory waiting period.

Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an order citing increased Ebola risks, including the spread of the virus to areas just hours from Congo’s capital, Kinshasa.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Friday that a US citizen working for a humanitarian organisation in Congo had tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus.

German officials said one American infected in Congo was admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital early on Monday for treatment.

The CDC also said another American, identified by the Serge Christian mission organisation as Dr. Peter Stafford, contracted Ebola and was flown to Germany for treatment in May.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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