DAKAR, June 25 (Reuters) – The Democratic Republic of Congo has imposed a 21-day quarantine for anyone returning from Ebola-affected areas before they can travel abroad, tightening controls after France confirmed its first imported case linked to the outbreak.
• A June 24 decree signed by health minister Samuel-Roger Kamba requires anyone identified as a contact of a confirmed or suspected Ebola case to undergo 21 days of active health monitoring from their last exposure. During that period, all travel, domestic or international, is banned unless expressly authorized by health authorities.
• The same monitoring rules apply to health workers, laboratory staff and response teams returning from affected areas, who must also obtain prior approval before travelling internationally.
• More broadly, anyone who has stayed in an Ebola-affected province may only travel abroad after spending at least 21 days outside the area.
• All outbound international passengers are now required to complete a health declaration form issued by border health authorities, with airlines responsible for verifying compliance as an additional screening measure.
• On Wednesday, France confirmed an Ebola case in a humanitarian doctor who boarded a commercial flight from Kinshasa without symptoms but fell ill mid-flight, raising concerns about cross-border transmission.
• The outbreak, driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no vaccine or treatment, has infected 1,118 people and killed 291, according to government data released on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Congo newsroom; Writing by Clement Bonnerot; Editing by Gareth Jones)
