A doctor wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) stands near an ambulance at the Ebola Virus Disease Treatment Center at the Bunia General Reference Hospital in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, June 15, 2026. Image @ REUTERS/Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/File Photo
The Trump administration has begun blocking U.S. citizens caught up in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s worsening Ebola outbreak from flying directly home, a White House official confirmed Monday, as the death toll climbed above 700.
Under an order issued through Title 49 transportation authority, Americans currently in Congo, or those who have recently left the country, will be placed on a “do-not-board” list until they have spent at least 21 days in a third country. The measure effectively prevents them from returning to the United States during Ebola’s maximum incubation period.
The decision comes as the outbreak continues to intensify. Congo has recorded 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths, according to figures released late Sunday. First detected in Ituri Province in May, the outbreak is the country’s 17th Ebola epidemic. It has since spread to North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uele and Tsopo provinces, with dozens of new infections reported in recent days.
Health officials believe the true scale of the outbreak is much larger. Weak disease surveillance, combined with ongoing armed conflict in affected regions, has made it difficult to track infections. The World Health Organization estimated in July that the actual number of cases could be between 4,000 and 8,000.
The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which presents an added challenge. Unlike the Zaire ebolavirus responsible for the devastating 2014-2016 West Africa epidemic, Bundibugyo has no FDA-approved vaccine or treatment. The Ervebo vaccine licensed in the United States targets a different Ebola species, and animal studies suggest it is unlikely to protect against the Bundibugyo virus. Previous outbreaks involving the strain have recorded fatality rates of between 30% and 50%.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or animals. Symptoms include high fever, vomiting and, in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
Earlier Monday, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed a separate order, citing concerns that the virus had spread to areas only a few hours from Kinshasa, the Congolese capital.
The World Health Organization has not supported travel restrictions. It continues to advise against limiting travel or trade, saying strong surveillance, rapid case detection and cross-border cooperation remain the most effective tools for containing the outbreak.
A U.S. official said about two dozen Americans had been scheduled to leave Congo on Tuesday before the order took effect. The State Department will assist those affected during the mandatory 21-day waiting period.
The new policy follows several Ebola infections involving American aid workers. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that an American working for a humanitarian organization in Congo had tested positive for the Bundibugyo virus and was flown to Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany on Monday for treatment.
It is the second medical evacuation involving an American during the current outbreak. In May, the CDC said Dr. Peter Stafford, who is affiliated with the Serge Christian mission organization, also contracted the virus and was airlifted to Germany.
Despite the stricter travel measures, U.S. health officials say the risk at home remains low. No Ebola cases linked to the Congo outbreak have been confirmed in the United States, and the CDC continues to assess the risk to the American public and travelers as low.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah