Canada to temporarily bar entry for some travelers from Congo

Canada began temporary border measures on May 26 for foreign nationals who had recently been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan or Uganda, despite UN calls for restraint on sweeping travel restrictions. Ottawa linked the step to Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and rising risks in Uganda and South Sudan, saying the aim was to reduce the chance of Ebola entering Canada even though the public-health risk was low.

The Public Health Agency of Canada introduced temporary border measures on May 26. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada set the measures to run from 23:59:59 ET on May 27 until 23:59:59 ET on August 28, and said they applied to foreign nationals living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan and Uganda. Travellers who had been in those countries in the previous 21 days were subject to border measures, while carriers were barred from boarding some of those passengers. Canadians and permanent residents were not excluded, but they were subject to quarantine requirements.

The World Health Organization declared the DRC-Uganda outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 17. The outbreak was caused by Bundibugyo virus and marked the 17th Ebola outbreak in the DRC since the disease was first identified in 1976. Canada’s risk assessment put the toll at 1,502 confirmed cases, 473 deaths and 229 recoveries in northeastern DRC, across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, as of July 2. Canada’s public-health information put Uganda at 19 confirmed cases and 2 confirmed deaths as of June 6, with cross-border and local transmission detected.