US Issues Title 42 Order Suspending Entry from Ebola-Affected Countries in Central Africa
No suspected, probable, or confirmed cases linked to this outbreak have been reported in the United States as of May 22.
CENTRAL AFRICA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order on May 18 suspending the right to introduce covered aliens, a legal term that refers to foreign nationals who are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents (green card holders) and who have departed from or were present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan during the preceding 21 days, into the United States for 30 days.
The order applies regardless of the person’s country of origin. The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection direct all affected U.S.-bound travelers, including American citizens and lawful permanent residents, to designated airports for enhanced public health screening.
The State Department simultaneously raised travel advisories to Level 4 Do Not Travel for the three countries, temporarily paused visa operations at U.S. embassies in Juba, Kinshasa, and Kampala effective May 18, and committed to funding up to 50 treatment clinics in affected regions.
These coordinated measures took effect within days of laboratory confirmation and prioritize protection of Americans and the American homeland per the May 19 State Department statement.
The order remains subject to ongoing comprehensive public health risk assessment and allows time for strengthened surveillance, diagnostic capacity, and mitigation planning.
No suspected, probable, or confirmed cases linked to this outbreak have been reported in the United States as of May 22.