U.S. to Require Arriving Passengers to Prove They Didn't Visit the 'Ebola Epicenter' Starting Nov. 3

The United States will temporarily require all international passengers bound for the country to prove that they have not visited or stayed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in an effort to prevent the Ebola virus spreading in Africa from entering the United States.

According to Reuters on October 22 (local time), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plans to require all passengers on flights entering the United States from abroad to submit documentation showing that they have not visited or stayed in the DRC within the previous 21 days, starting November 3 (local time).

Kenya Red Cross personnel remove their personal protective equipment during a simulation exercise to evacuate the remains of an Ebola victim in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, on the 22nd (local time). Kenya (Nairobi)=AFP Yonhap News

The DRC is the source of Africa's Ebola outbreak. The virus has now spread to Kenya in East Africa and Nigeria in West Africa, escalating into a continent-wide public health crisis.

The CDC said the measure is intended to address the risk of Ebola virus transmission.

The CDC had previously adopted a rule prohibiting travelers with a history of staying in the DRC within the 21 days before departure from boarding commercial flights to the United States. The new requirement to submit documentation appears intended to further strengthen these pre-departure screening procedures.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.