The Trump administration has blocked US citizens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Americans who recently traveled there, from boarding flights back to the United States during an Ebola outbreak, according to Reuters and Politico.
Reuters reported late Monday that the administration placed those travelers on a “do-not-board” list. Politico independently confirmed the order on Tuesday. Under the rule described by both outlets, affected Americans cannot return directly to the US until they have spent 21 days in a third country.
The practical effect is blunt: US citizens who are in the DRC, or who have recently been there, are being treated as ineligible to board US-bound flights for now. The order was issued under a transportation authority known as Title 49, according to Reuters and Politico. That means the restriction is being applied through travel controls, not through a normal public health advisory that travelers can choose to ignore.
Both outlets reported that roughly two dozen Americans who were scheduled to fly home Tuesday had already been stopped by the new rule. The reports did not identify the travelers or say where they were attempting to board.
The restriction comes as an Ebola outbreak in the DRC continues to run ahead of response efforts, according to the reports. Ebola controls often depend on isolating exposure risks, tracking contacts and limiting movement from outbreak zones. The administration’s chosen mechanism here is a boarding ban for US citizens tied to recent presence in the DRC, with a 21-day wait in another country before return.
Unclear reach for US personnel
One major unresolved question is whether the order applies to US government workers. Reuters and Politico both noted that point remains unclear.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has at least two dozen employees working in the DRC, according to the reports. If the boarding restriction covers those workers, it could affect federal staff involved in the outbreak response. If it exempts them, the administration has not yet made that boundary clear in the reporting available so far.
The order also puts Americans abroad in an unusual position: citizens are not just being warned against travel or screened on arrival, they are being prevented from immediately returning home unless they first wait out the required period in a third country. Reuters first reported the move, and Politico’s confirmation indicates the rule is already being enforced against travelers who had planned to depart.
No further details were reported about how long the restriction will remain in place, which third countries would qualify for the 21-day stay, or whether affected travelers will receive assistance while they wait outside the United States.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.
