US to tighten Ebola screening with new air passenger declarations
All US-bound airline passengers must file digital or paper declarations to attest they have not been in the DR Congo in the prior 21 days.
The US government is set to strengthen its Ebola screening measures with a new requirement for air travelers. According to a memorandum obtained by Reuters, US-bound passengers will need to declare they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the past 21 days. This comes after the CDC banned foreign travelers who visited Uganda or South Sudan in the preceding three weeks since earlier this year.
The new rule, effective November 3, will require all US-bound airline passengers to provide digital or paper attestations. The CDC will hold briefing calls with major US and foreign airlines on Friday to outline compliance procedures. Previously, the CDC had barred US citizens from entering the country if they had been in the DRC within three weeks.
The Ebola virus, specifically the Bundibugyo strain, has killed around 4,700 people in Africa, with no approved treatment or vaccine available. As of now, no cases linked to this outbreak have been reported in the United States.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
