In response to the rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak, the Trump administration has imposed a ban on foreign travelers who have been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan from entering the United States in the past 21 days, according to a new order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The order is aimed at stopping the flow of Ebola cases into the United States and applies to U.S. citizens and military personnel, regardless of their national origin, and anyone who has been in those countries in recent weeks, except for those specifically exempted from the ban by the Department of Homeland Security.
The order was signed by National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharyya, who is also a senior CDC official, and is currently in effect for 30 days.
This is the first time the United States has imposed a travel ban due to the Ebola outbreak.
Until now, authorities have relied on containment strategies that include increased screening of travelers at ports of entry, as they did during the 2018-2019 Ebola outbreak during President Trump’s first term. At that time, the CDC coordinated a combination of exit screening for personnel leaving affected areas and additional screening at airports.
During the Ebola outbreak, many Americans in Congo are believed to have been exposed to suspected cases.
During the 2014-2015 outbreak in West Africa, before he was elected, President Trump called for a travel ban that would extend to Americans in affected areas, an approach later criticized by Tom Price, Trump’s pick for secretary of health, who said bringing international health workers back to the United States “is not just our responsibility, it’s the moral action to take.”
Cases of Ebola have also been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, but the order identifies South Sudan as at risk of further spread due to its proximity to affected countries.
Suspending travel from affected areas will reduce the number of high-risk travelers entering the United States, but does not eliminate the risk posed by the presence of these travelers in large transportation hubs, the order says. The virus has an incubation period of up to 21 days, and potential patients can infect fellow travelers in other global locations.
The order is effective immediately, but includes a 30-day comment period to inform future actions.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
Helen Branswell contributed reporting.
