US to require proof of no Congo stay from all international arrivals from Nov 3: Reuters
In short
Reuters reported on the 22nd, citing an internal document, that the US CDC plans from November 3 (local time) to require all passengers on flights into the US to document that they have not visited or stayed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past 21 days. South Korean outlets relayed the report; the aim is to keep Ebola out of the US.
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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plans to require all passengers on flights entering the country from abroad to submit a document showing they have not visited or stayed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past 21 days, Reuters reported on the 22nd, according to South Korean outlets. The requirement is to start on November 3, local time. Reuters said it obtained an internal document. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
Seoul Economic Daily and Kukmin Ilbo described the Democratic Republic of Congo as the epicentre of Ebola's spread in Africa. They said the outbreak that began there has now spread to Kenya in the east and Nigeria in the west. Kukmin Ilbo said it has grown into a continent-wide health crisis and that the CDC gave the risk of Ebola transmission as the reason for the measure. [ 2 , 3 ]
Both outlets noted that the CDC had earlier adopted a rule banning anyone who stayed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 21 days before their departure date from boarding US-bound commercial aircraft. Kukmin Ilbo said the new document requirement appears intended to strengthen that earlier screening step. [ 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap's report from San Francisco said the US is asking arrivals to prove they have not visited the Ebola epicentre in order to keep the virus from entering the country. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The reports describe a wider entry requirement that would apply to every international passenger bound for the US. Korean outlets present it as a tightening of an earlier CDC rule barring travellers with recent Congo stays from US-bound commercial flights.
Key facts
- Reuters reported on the 22nd, citing an internal document, that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) plans to require the documentation. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The requirement is to start on November 3, local time, and cover all passengers on flights entering the US from abroad. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]
- Passengers must submit a document showing they have not visited or stayed in the Democratic Republic of Congo within the past 21 days. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The Democratic Republic of Congo is described as the epicentre of the Ebola spread in Africa; the outbreak that began there has spread to Kenya in the east and Nigeria in the west. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The CDC had earlier adopted a rule banning travellers who stayed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 21 days before departure from boarding US-bound commercial aircraft. [ 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Whether the CDC or the US government has publicly announced the requirement. The documents attribute the information to an internal document obtained by Reuters; none quotes a public CDC statement.
- What form the required document will take and how it will be checked. The documents do not describe the document format or enforcement.
- The CDC earlier adopted a ban on US-bound commercial flights for travellers who stayed in the Democratic Republic of Congo within 21 days of departure. Reported by a single source so far