By Jasper Ward
WASHINGTON, May 26 (Reuters) – Canada and the Bahamas said on Tuesday they will temporarily ban residents from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan amid an Ebola outbreak.
Residents from those countries will be banned from entering Canada for 90 days starting Wednesday, the Canadian government said. It said the temporary border measure aimed to reduce the risk of Ebola entering and spreading within Canada.
The Bahamian government added that its entry restrictions would take immediate effect and remain in place for a period of 30 days, subject to review by the Caribbean country’s health ministry.
Reuters first reported that the archipelago would impose such a travel ban.
The World Health Organization on Friday raised to “very high” the risk of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has declared the outbreak there and in Uganda an emergency of international concern.
Last week, Washington banned non-citizens who had traveled to the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in recent weeks from entering the United States.
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and other foreign nationals who have been in affected areas in recent weeks and do not have symptoms will have to quarantine for 21 days from May 30, according to a statement from Canada’s public health agency.
The Bahamas also announced enhanced health screenings and possible quarantines for foreigners who were present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 30 days of arriving in the Caribbean country.
No cases of Ebola have been reported in the U.S., Canada or the Bahamas.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward in Washington and Ismail Shakil in Ottowa; editing by Michelle Nichols, Christian Schmollinger and Kate Mayberry)
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