Canada has imposed new entry restrictions on foreign nationals who have recently travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, citing the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Central African nation.
The Public Health Agency of Canada issued the directive on Sunday, with the measure taking effect Monday at 11:59 p.m. ET. Any foreign national who has visited the DRC within the prior 21 days will be denied entry.
An interim order under the Aeronautics Act will require commercial and private air carriers to prevent affected individuals from boarding flights to Canada. The move builds on earlier steps that mandated 21-day quarantine for travellers from the DRC, South Sudan, and Uganda and suspended certain immigration documents from those countries through Aug. 29.
Officials stressed the steps are precautionary. The health risk to Canadians from Ebola remains low, and no travel-related cases have been recorded in the country to date.
Authorities said limiting entry of recent DRC visitors may reduce public health risks and improve the sustainability of border processing, including for returning humanitarian workers.
The restrictions follow a warning that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC remains active, with sustained transmission driving increases in cases and deaths. As of Wednesday, the country had recorded 2,124 confirmed cases and 828 deaths.
German authorities reported a case on July 13 involving an American humanitarian worker evacuated earlier from the DRC. The situation continues to be complicated by internal conflict and displacement.
The World Health Organization noted that violent conflict and highly mobile populations with limited access to services hinder response efforts. It emphasized that local leadership and community engagement are essential.
In Uganda, the outlook is more encouraging. No new cases have been reported since June 21, and the most recent patient was discharged after two negative tests.
Uganda has now entered a 42-day period of enhanced surveillance, a requirement before the outbreak can be officially declared over.
