The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that it has put in place travel restrictions tied to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that bar American citizens and nationals who have been in the country within a 21-day period from entering the United States via commercial aviation.
What the restriction says
The U.S. embassy's website in the DRC carries explicit guidance: "Travelers who have been in the DRC within 21 days of their flight will not be allowed to board flights with U.S. destinations," and it advises that "All U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals who have been in the DRC should plan to remain outside the DRC for 21 days before entering the United States."
Context of the outbreak
Authorities in the DRC report that the Ebola outbreak has spread across multiple provinces. Official Congolese data published late on Sunday show that confirmed Ebola cases across the country had reached 1,926, with 702 deaths.
Reaction from public health experts
Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a former senior official at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who led the U.S. response during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, said this week that using the "do-not-board" policy to prevent U.S. citizens from returning home when they have little risk of Ebola infection is unprecedented. He warned that "This change in policy risks shifting medical and public-health responsibility to third countries, it may encourage travelers to conceal itineraries or exposures, and it will make recruitment of American outbreak responders more difficult."
Operational effect
Under the announced restrictions, any traveler who has been in the DRC within the preceding 21 days should expect to be denied boarding on commercial flights destined for the United States. The guidance indicates those Americans and nationals who have recently been in the DRC should remain outside the country for 21 days before attempting commercial travel to the U.S.
Limits of the available information
The announcement describes the travel limitation and restates the recommended 21-day interval but provides no additional operational details in the public guidance about exceptions, enforcement mechanisms, or alternative pathways for U.S. citizens seeking to return during that period.
The policy comes as the DRC contends with an outbreak that officials say has expanded into multiple provinces and resulted in the confirmed cumulative totals cited above. Public health authorities and former U.S. outbreak responders have raised concerns about secondary effects of the policy on international response operations and on how responsibilities for monitoring and care are allocated.