In an effort to safeguard their citizens and visitors during the World Cup, the United States, Mexico, and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday announcing coordinated public health travel measures for individuals traveling from African regions with the highest Ebola risk. “The health and safety of every person in the region remains our highest priority as we welcome the world to North America,” they said in the statement, which did not detail the aligned measures.
The World Health Organization on Sunday, May 17, declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and said there was a high risk it could spread to neighboring countries.
Governments have increased travel-related containment measures as a result of the decision. Washington last week banned non-citizens who had traveled to the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in recent weeks from entering the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) extended the ban to green card holders who had been in those nations for the previous 21 days. Since Wednesday, residents of the DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan have been prohibited from entering Canada for a period of ninety days.
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and other foreign nationals who have been in affected areas in recent weeks and do not have symptoms will have to quarantine for 21 days from May 30, according to a statement from Canada’s public health agency.
Mexico’s Health Secretary David Kershenovich on Monday outlined tighter Ebola screening measures at airports, urging the public to avoid travel to DRC and asking arrivals from the country to observe a 21-day quarantine.
