Canada, Bahamas Target DRC, Uganda in Ebola Travel restrictions

Canada and the Bahamas have announced new Ebola-related travel restrictions targeting residents from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, as international concern grows over the outbreak spreading across Central and East Africa.

According to a Reuters report, Canada will suspend entry for affected residents for 90 days starting Wednesday, while the Bahamas said its measures would take immediate effect.

Canadian authorities said the temporary restrictions are designed to reduce the risk of Ebola entering and spreading within the country. The Public Health Agency of Canada also announced that citizens, permanent residents and some foreign nationals returning from affected areas without symptoms would face a mandatory 21-day quarantine beginning May 30.

The World Health Organization recently raised the risk level of the Bundibugyo strain outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to “very high” and declared the situation in both DRC and Uganda an emergency of international concern, according to the WHO emergency update. The outbreak has already triggered stronger international border measures and public health monitoring.

Last week, the United States also introduced restrictions affecting non-citizens who had recently traveled through the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan, according to a separate Reuters report on U.S. measures.

The Bahamas said additional health screenings and possible quarantines would apply to travelers arriving from affected regions.

Neither Canada, the Bahamas nor the United States has reported confirmed Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak.