Canada has announced temporary border restrictions barring the entry of foreign nationals who have recently travelled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as authorities move to prevent the spread of Ebola.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said foreign nationals who have been in the DRC within the previous 21 days will be denied entry into the country.
According to the agency, the temporary measure is intended to reduce the potential public health risks posed by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Central African nation.
“Limiting entry of foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the previous 21 days may reduce public health risks for Canadians,” the agency stated.
The restrictions are scheduled to take effect at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 20.
The decision, however, runs contrary to guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), which has consistently advised against imposing travel or trade restrictions on the DRC despite the country’s efforts to contain a major Ebola outbreak.
The WHO has warned that such restrictions could fuel stigma, discourage transparency and ultimately undermine efforts to control the disease.
“People from affected regions and African communities have faced unfair suspicion,” the UN health agency said in a statement last month, adding that “the spread of Ebola is not determined by nationality or ethnicity.”
The WHO also maintains that the risk of the current Ebola outbreak in the DRC spreading internationally remains low.
Canada’s latest border measures come as Congolese health authorities continue working to contain the outbreak through surveillance, contact tracing and public health interventions.
