Canada temporarily bars foreign nationals who visited Congo amid Ebola risk

Canada is barring foreign nationals who visited the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past 21 days in its latest effort to prevent Ebola from entering and spreading in this country.

The Public Health Agency of Canada made the announcement Sunday, with the new rule set to start on Monday at 11:59 p.m.

As part of the move, commercial and private air carriers will also be required to not permit foreign nationals who visited the DRC to board a flight to Canada.

“Limiting entry of foreign nationals who have been in the the DRC in the previous 21 days may reduce public health risks for Canadians and is intended to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of border measures that can safely process travelers arriving in Canada, including our returning humanitarian workers,” the agency said in a news release.

The decision to prohibit foreign nationals from entering Canada is a shift from the government’s previous measures in May, which required travellers from Ebola-affected regions to self-isolate for 21 days.

That requirement also applied to South Sudan and Uganda. The measure announced Sunday does not include travel bans from either country.

Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered under the Indian Act entering Canada who visited the DRC, South Sudan or Uganda within the past 21 days will still be allowed to enter. They will receive a health assessment on their arrival and be required to self-isolate for 21 days.

Government officials stated before a press conference announcing the initial measures in May that, on average, 350 people from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan come to Canada weekly.

The majority of passengers arrive in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver airports, with about 60 per cent of flights being Canadians or permanent residents, whereas 40 per cent are foreign nationals.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security imposed a U.S. entry ban on May 22 on foreign travellers who have been in Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days “effective immediately.”

Mexico also issued a travel ban to the affected areas on May 17.

So far, 2,181 cases have been recorded in the Ebola outbreak, with 864 deaths recorded.

The new rules that take effect Monday night, and those put in place in May, will remain in effect until Aug. 29.