Americans in Congo are not allowed to go home

 

TT

 

Published 08:22

  

Disinfection around an airplane at Bunia airport in eastern Congo. Picture from early June. Photo: Moses Sawasawa/AP/TT

US citizens who are in or have recently been in Congo-Kinshasa are not allowed to come home. Due to the Ebola outbreak, they must spend at least three weeks in another country before being allowed into the United States, the White House announced according to news agencies.

The measure was announced on Monday, and means that affected Americans are put on a "blacklist" of people who are not allowed to board flights to the United States. The aim is to ensure that no cases of the feared hemorrhagic disease are brought into the United States.

The Ebola outbreak in Congo has been going on since May, and has now spread to 5 of 25 provinces. The disease is very difficult to treat, and has a high mortality rate.