The Trump administration on Monday barred US citizens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from returning home amid an Ebola outbreak that continues to outpace response efforts.
Reuters first reported late Monday that Americans currently in the DRC or those who have recently traveled to the Ebola-stricken country have been put on a “do-not-board” list. They cannot travel back to the US until they have spent 21 days in a third country. The order, taken under a transportation authority known as Title 49, was independently confirmed by Politico on Tuesday.
Both outlets noted that roughly two dozen Americans who had been set to board flights home on Tuesday have already been blocked by the new rule. It remains unclear if the bar also applies to government workers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has at least two dozen employees working in the DRC.
The move adds to the already extremely stringent and controversial travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration in an effort to wall itself off from the outbreak. Health experts continue to be critical of such restrictions, as they have historically been unsuccessful and harmful. Specifically, they discourage countries and people from being transparent about outbreaks and disease risks, hurt economies, and create stigma. There is also concern that such restrictions will limit humanitarian aid workers.
Ebola threat
Ebola is not a disease that readily spreads like respiratory viruses. It transmits via contact with bodily fluids while people are actively sick or recently deceased. It has been described as a disease of compassion because it primarily spreads to family, loved ones, caregivers, and medical personnel who have extensive contact with cases when they are most ill and infectious. In other words, it’s not a disease one would pick up by sitting next to someone who is merely coughing on an airplane.
According to the CDC, “do-not-board” lists are intended to bar travelers who are “known or suspected to have a contagious disease,” not simply anyone who has been in a country with an outbreak.
Still, if people unknowingly carried Ebola into the US, the country is well-equipped to handle the situation. The US has built an elite network of medical facilities that can safely isolate Ebola patients while offering high-quality care.
In past Ebola outbreaks, no such stringent travel restrictions were implemented, and the US repatriated eight cases for high-level care. None of the repatriated patients transmitted the virus.
Amid the Trump administration’s isolationist strategy, the World Health Organization is warning that the outbreak continues to spread out of control. On Tuesday, the United Nations health agency said it has less than half the funding it needs to properly respond to the outbreak. WHO has struggled with funding after the US withdrew its membership, removing a significant funding source.
WHO said last week that four out of every five new Ebola cases have no link to known cases, indicating undetected spread. Officials warned that the true scale of the outbreak could be two- to four-times larger than current case counts. As of July 14, the DRC is reporting 1,963 cases and 719 deaths.
