Canada to bar travellers from three Ebola-hit nations

Canada will bar travellers from three African countries hit by Ebola outbreaks from entering the country for 90 days, Reuters reported, citing a Canadian government statement issued on Tuesday, May 26, local time.

The measure will apply to residents of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan, and will take effect on Wednesday, May 27. Ottawa said the move is intended to reduce the risk of Ebola entering Canada and spreading within the country.

The Public Health Agency of Canada said in a statement that Canadian citizens, permanent residents and other foreign nationals who had recently travelled to the affected areas but showed no symptoms would be required to quarantine for 21 days from May 30.

On Friday, May 22, the World Health Organization raised the risk level to “very high” that the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola could become a national outbreak in the DRC.

It also declared that an outbreak had already occurred there and designated the outbreak in Uganda as an emergency of international concern.

Last week, Washington banned non-US citizens who had recently travelled from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan from entering the United States.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the Bahamas also planned to announce a ban on travellers who had visited the three African countries within the previous 21 days.

The measure is expected to be announced by the health ministry and kept in place for at least 30 days.

No Ebola cases have so far been reported in the United States, Canada or the Bahamas.