U.S. blocks Americans from returning from Congo over Ebola

The Trump administration announced a travel restriction that places U.S. citizens in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – and those who have recently left – on a “do‑not‑board” list. Under Title 49 authority, affected travelers must spend at least 21 days in a third country before they can board a commercial flight to the United States. The measure was signed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and is intended to curb the spread of a widening Bundibugyo‑strain Ebola outbreak.

The outbreak in the DRC has reached 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths, affecting multiple provinces. Two American citizens have been infected: one was treated at Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany, and another earlier case was also evacuated to Germany. The State Department will provide assistance and a consular hotline for those affected. The policy, described by former CDC official Dr. Daniel Jernigan as unprecedented, has drawn criticism for shifting public‑health responsibility to third countries and potentially discouraging medical responders.

The restriction also applies to travelers from Uganda and South Sudan, though no Ebola cases have been reported in the United States. No U.S. cases have been linked to the outbreak, and the CDC says the risk to the American public remains low.