By Simon Lewis and Giulia Paravicini
WASHINGTON/NAIROBI, June 9 (Reuters) – The Trump administration has called on European nations to follow Washington’s lead and impose travel restrictions on people who have recently been in Central African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, in hopes of avoiding the spread of the virus during the soccer World Cup, sources and officials said on Tuesday.
The U.S. on June 1 issued a demarche — a formal diplomatic statement of concern — urging European countries to implement travel restrictions related to the outbreak, a European Union diplomat based in Africa and a second source familiar with the matter said.
A European Commission spokesperson said there was no evidence that additional border measures are needed to prevent the spread of the virus to Europe.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month issued an order barring noncitizens who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days from entering the U.S. Americans were told to go through select airports for screenings.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Ebola must not be allowed to enter the U.S., and the administration’s efforts have focused on keeping anyone potentially exposed to the virus overseas, even though the country has facilities equipped to treat Ebola cases while containing the spread of the virus.
A State Department official said the travel restrictions, combined with funding U.S. pledges for the Ebola response, showed Washington had “stepped up” to protect Americans from the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola that the World Health Organization has declared an emergency of international concern.
WASHINGTON URGES GLOBAL ACTION
“Other countries must do their part to ensure this outbreak does not spread further. Action is required now. That includes financial contributions and implementing commonsense restrictions on travel from the affected area,” said the official, who provided comment anonymously.
“We are engaging diplomatically with countries around the world to coordinate our approach to protect our citizens, including the millions of visitors, fans, athletes and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup.”
The official did not respond to questions about the formal request to European countries, which was first reported by Axios.
The European Commission has coordinated its Ebola response with member states, international bodies and partners and prioritized safeguarding public health, a commission spokesperson said.
“The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control currently assesses the risk to people in Europe as very low. At this stage, exit screening in the region is deemed sufficient, there is no evidence that additional measures are needed upon entry,” the spokesperson said.
Rubio and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the Ebola response in a call on Tuesday, the State Department said.
“The Department’s highest priority and focus remain protecting the health of the American people and preventing this Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores,” spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a readout of that call.
The European Commission spokesperson confirmed they discussed Ebola.
The Trump administration, which has faced criticism for the shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development and cuts to aid funding ahead of the outbreak, says it has delivered 150 tons of medical supplies and pledged over $200 million directly to the affected countries, making it the largest financial contributor to the Ebola response.
The Ebola outbreak has complicated some travel ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico and begins on Thursday.
(Reporting by Simon Lewis in Washington and Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi; Additional reporting by Julia Payne in Brussels; Editing by Caroline Humer and Matthew Lewis)
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