US blocks citizens in Congo from traveling home over Ebola

The Trump administration has implemented a new travel restriction, barring U.S. citizens currently in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from traveling directly to the United States on commercial flights. This measure, enacted under transportation authority Title 49, requires U.S. citizens who have been in the DRC to spend a minimum of 21 days in a third country before they can board flights to the U.S.

This decision is a direct response to the escalating Ebola outbreak within the DRC. Official data indicates that the number of confirmed Ebola cases has reached 1,926, resulting in 702 deaths. The virus has now spread to several provinces, including areas close to the capital city, Kinshasa, raising significant public health concerns.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that a U.S. citizen working for a humanitarian organization in Congo tested positive for the Bundibugyo Ebola virus. Another American infected in Congo was admitted to a hospital in Germany for treatment, and a third, identified as Dr. Peter Stafford, also contracted the virus and was transported to Germany for care.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an order citing the increased Ebola risks, emphasizing the virus's potential spread. The State Department has pledged to support the approximately two dozen Americans who were scheduled to fly to the U.S. and others affected by the new transit requirement during their mandatory waiting period in third countries.

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The order... will place U.S. citizens in Congo or those who have recently left on a “do-not-board” list until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country.