CDC Issues Travel Restrictions for Central and East Africa Over Ebola Outbreak

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday imposed new travel restrictions and enhanced screening measures for travelers from parts of Central and East Africa. The agency is invoking a Title 42 public health order to temporarily suspend entry for some non-U.S. travelers who have recently been in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan.

U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents will still be allowed to enter but may face additional health screening requirements. The measures are intended to prevent Ebola from entering the United States as cases rise in Central Africa. Non-U.S. passport holders are restricted from entering the country if they have been in Uganda, Congo, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days.

The CDC said it is coordinating with airlines, international partners, and port-of-entry officials to identify and manage travelers who may have been exposed to the virus.

The CDC said it will enhance port health protection response activities, contact tracing, laboratory testing capacity, and hospital readiness nationwide. Officials will also continue to deploy CDC personnel to support containment efforts in affected regions.

The restrictions come as the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The declaration cites the spread of a rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus with no approved vaccine or targeted treatment.

CDC officials said the immediate risk to the public remains low but confirmed at least one American tested positive for Ebola while working in Congo. The infected individual is being transported to Germany for treatment, while several others believed to have been exposed are being medically monitored and evacuated from the outbreak area.

Speaking at a separate event Monday, President Donald Trump said people should be concerned about the outbreak but stressed it remains geographically limited for now. "I’m concerned about everything," Trump said. " A member of Trump’s Domestic Policy Council said the administration has activated a full interagency response involving the State Department, CDC, and Defense Department to monitor the outbreak and assist Americans in the region.

The American and the six other high-risk contacts are being taken to Germany, which has a treatment hub for viral hemorrhagic diseases. Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids and can cause fever, vomiting, bleeding, and organ failure.