New Ebola rules for travelers coming from Africa

Americans who recently traveled in parts of Central Africa now face stricter rules when returning to the U. S. The State Department says anyone from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the last three weeks must land at Washington Dulles Airport. Extra health checks will happen there to lower Ebola risks. A recent mix-up showed why these rules matter. An Air France flight heading to Detroit was rerouted to Canada because a passenger from Congo boarded by accident. Authorities say border control does not want Ebola anywhere near U. S. soil. Screening at Dulles got stronger after this surprise stop. Travel restrictions don’t block all visitors, though. Americans and legal residents can still fly home from these African countries, but others may face delays. This reminds people of a similar rule from 2014, when West Africa had its own Ebola scare. Back then, travelers had to land at just five U. S. airports for health checks.The current outbreak is serious. Health groups say more than 600 possible cases and nearly 140 deaths have been reported near Congo’s eastern border. Cases have even reached Uganda, a country next door. The World Health Organization recently called this Ebola strain a global health threat because there’s still no vaccine. Not everyone agrees with the travel bans. Uganda’s government says the U. S. move seems like an overreaction since only a few cases appeared so far. Meanwhile, the virus keeps spreading quietly in rebel-held areas far from the first outbreak zone. The situation keeps changing, and countries keep adjusting their safety steps.