Ebola outbreak: What restrictions have countries imposed? | | Health Issues

The latest outbreak of a rare type of Ebola The HIV virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda has prompted several governments to take action to stop the spread of the disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says 10 people have died and 220 are suspected to have died as a result of the murder. Bundibugyo (BVD) strain of Ebola in the DRC since mid-May. Another 900 suspected cases have been recorded since Kinshasa declared the outbreak on May 15. In Uganda, five cases and one death have been confirmed.

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The United Nations health agency raised its risk assessment from the DRC country to the country last week, but it continues to assess the global risk.

However, several countries have announced travel restrictions and temporary border measures to stop the spread of the virus.

Which countries are implementing restrictions on the virus?

This week, the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Congo they canceled all flights from Bunia in eastern DRC to combat the Ebola epidemic. The health center in Bunia is one of 11 health centers in Congo that have been affected by the Ebola outbreak. Other exceptions, such as humanitarian, medical and emergency flights, may be permitted with special permission from aviation and health authorities.

Uganda has also imposed restrictions on travel to and from the DRC. All direct flights have been suspended while bus and ferry services have been suspended for four weeks. Weekly markets in the border districts have been suspended. Trucks carrying goods, essential goods and food, however, are allowed to pass through.

Beyond the affected areas, Canada and the Bahamas have said they have temporarily barred entry to residents of the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan.

Residents of those countries cannot travel to Canada for 90 days starting Wednesday, the government said. Canadian citizens, permanent residents and other foreign nationals who have been affected in recent weeks must self-isolate for 21 days starting May 30, even if they are not showing symptoms, Health Canada said.

The Bahamian government said the entry restrictions will take effect immediately and remain in place for 30 days, according to a review by the Caribbean health ministry.

Last week, the US banned all non-citizens who have traveled to the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the past 21 days from entering the country. On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the ban to green card holders who have been in those countries in the past 21 days.

US citizens who have traveled to the affected countries have been told to return to the US via designated airports that have clear visibility. This is Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) for flights to the US departing after May 21, 2026; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) for flights after May 22; and George Bush Intercontinental Airport, (IAH), Houston, for flights departing after May 26.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is expected to send US health officials to Kenya to work in quarantine facilities, which are designed for Americans who are at high risk of contracting the virus in the region, and for those who have already tested positive for the virus.

No cases of Ebola have been recorded in Canada, the Bahamas or the US.

Can this stop the spread of the virus?

The Bundibugyo strain is a rare, highly lethal strain of the Ebola virus, which causes viral haemorrhagic fever. It is spread through close contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected or dead person, and through contaminated objects. Therefore, all methods of reducing exposure provide an effective way to reduce disease.

Globally in the DRC and Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus this week said the response includes research, setting up treatment centers, prevention and disease control.

However, “the delay in identifying the epidemic means that we are now playing with a very fast epidemic”. “We are expanding our operations rapidly, but at the moment, the epidemic has overtaken us,” he said.

“But we know the virus, and we know how to stop it,” Tedros said. “We’ve stopped every Ebola outbreak, and we’re going to stop this one.”

Is it safe to fly?

The United Nations has asked airlines and governments to strictly follow the rules established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) during the global pandemic of COVID-19. This includes the use of electronic data and unlimited methods, it said on Tuesday.

ICAO says, for now, international air travel is safe. It urged countries not to close borders or restrict travel or trade and to focus more on screening those leaving, rather than monitoring those arriving.

“Exit screening may be carried out in affected countries for all persons at international airports due to undiagnosed fever-related illnesses that do not resemble other symptoms of BVD,” ICAO said in a statement.