DRC reopens airport in Ebola outbreak epicenter

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reopened Bunia airport, the main gateway to Ituri province, which has been the epicenter of the current Ebola outbreak. The Ministry of Transport announced the immediate reopening after less than two weeks of closure, citing "sanitary evaluations of the epidemiological surveillance process" for Ebola. Authorities determined that conditions are now suitable for the gradual and safe resumption of air travel.

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…it has been determined that the necessary conditions exist for the gradual and safe resumption of air travel.

To mitigate any risk of the virus spreading, the ministry stressed that a series of public health measures must be strictly applied at the airport facilities. These include systematic temperature checks for all passengers before boarding and upon arrival. Rigorous hand hygiene protocols will also be enforced, and any passenger exhibiting fever will not be permitted to board. Such individuals will be immediately referred to agents of the National Border Hygiene Program (PNHF) for evaluation and treatment according to current health protocols.

The Congolese Ministry of Transport urged all airlines, airport infrastructure managers, flight crews, and travelers to act with responsibility and cooperation to ensure the strict compliance of these measures. The government had initially banned all commercial flights to Bunia on May 23 as part of "exceptional sanitary measures" due to the risk of Ebola propagation. Humanitarian, medical, or emergency flights were to be authorized only with special approval from aviation and health authorities.

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…systematic temperature control of all passengers before boarding and upon arrival.

The Ebola outbreak was officially declared on May 15 in Ituri province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. It has since spread to the eastern Congolese provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, as well as to neighboring Uganda. The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has a fatality rate between 30% and 50% and for which no authorized vaccine or specific treatment exists, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO has classified the epidemic as a "public health emergency of international concern."

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…no passenger presenting fever will be allowed to board and will be immediately referred to agents of the National Border Hygiene Program (PNHF) for evaluation and treatment according to current health protocols.