WASHINGTON, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The United States has expanded its travel measures due to the ongoing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo, imposing new restrictions on US citizens returning from the country.
In the statement made by the US Department of Homeland Security on the social media platform
The statement said, "US citizens leaving the Democratic Republic of the Congo may face the situation of 'being denied boarding'. US citizens can return to the USA 21 days after leaving the Democratic Republic of the Congo."
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had announced a day earlier that all travelers who had recently been to the Democratic Republic of Congo and certain travelers who had been to Uganda or South Sudan were temporarily restricted from entering the United States.
In the latest statement made on Tuesday, the following statement was made: "Air passengers who have been in Uganda and South Sudan in the last 21 days and are granted entry permission to the United States will have their travel routes diverted to an airport designated for entry screening for public health purposes."
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been fighting the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus since May. There is no approved vaccine or specific treatment against the virus. As of Tuesday, the number of Ebola cases confirmed in the country reached 2,011, and the number of deaths caused by the virus reached 754.