The United States has announced that American citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) must first spend at least 21 days in a third country before being allowed to enter the U.S., as part of new measures aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola.
A White House official told Reuters that the policy has already taken effect. Under the new rules, any U.S. citizen currently in the DRC—or anyone who has recently traveled there—will not be permitted to fly directly to the United States. Instead, they must complete a 21-day stay in another country before returning home.
The decision comes as U.S. authorities express growing concern over the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, particularly after the virus spread to areas closer to the capital, Kinshasa.
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the measures are intended to protect public health and reduce the risk of Ebola entering the United States.
According to the DRC Ministry of Health, as of July 12, 2026, a total of 1,926 Ebola cases had been confirmed, with 702 deaths reported.
The outbreak has now spread across five provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Haut-Uélé, and Tshopo.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also confirmed that two American humanitarian workers contracted the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus while working in the DRC. They were later transferred to Germany for specialized medical treatment.