The Trump administration has announced that, in response to the expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), US citizens currently in the country will not be permitted to travel directly to the United States on commercial flights until further notice.
A White House official told Reuters the restriction is being imposed under transportation authorities known as Title 49. Under the measure, US citizens who are in the DRC or have recently departed the country will be placed on the “Do Not Board” list for commercial flights.
Under the new policy, they may travel to the United States only after spending at least 21 days in a third country, Reuters reported.
The decision comes as the Ebola outbreak continues to spread across several provinces of the DRC. According to official figures released on Sunday evening, the country has recorded 1,926 confirmed Ebola cases, including 702 deaths.
Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or animals. It can cause severe fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal and external bleeding, and is regarded as one of the world’s deadliest viral diseases.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an order on Monday citing the growing risks posed by the outbreak, including the virus’s spread to areas only a few hours from the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirmed that an American humanitarian worker in the DRC had contracted the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
German authorities said another US citizen who became infected in the DRC was transferred on Monday to Frankfurt University Hospital for treatment. Reports also said that an American physician, Dr. Peter Stafford, had previously contracted Ebola in the DRC and was evacuated to Germany for medical care.
The current Ebola outbreak in the DRC began in mid-June 2026, when health officials confirmed the first cases of the Bundibugyo strain in the eastern part of the country. Since then, the disease has spread rapidly to several provinces.
According to the latest figures released by the Congolese Ministry of Health, as of July 13, the number of confirmed cases had risen to 1,926, with 702 fatalities.
Health authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO) have warned that the virus has reached areas near Kinshasa, raising concerns about further transmission.
Ebola is a highly dangerous viral disease spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or animals. Symptoms include high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal and external bleeding. Depending on the virus strain and the timeliness of treatment, the disease can have a very high fatality rate.
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