The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a temporary, 30-day emergency order suspending the entry of certain non-US travelers arriving from areas in Central and East Africa experiencing an Ebola outbreak.

Signed by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, MD, Ph.D., the order utilizes federal public health authorities to manage international travel risks linked to an increase in Ebola cases caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

Resource Allocation and Target Areas

The suspension applies to "covered aliens" who have been present in the DRC, Uganda, or high-risk South Sudan within the last 21 days—the incubation period of the virus.

Officials state the 30-day window is intended to reduce operational strain on domestic frontline quarantine stations, airport screening systems, and public health laboratories.

This measure allows federal, state, and local health agencies to focus contact tracing, surveillance, and medical monitoring resources exclusively on returning US citizens and lawful permanent residents to ensure exposure assessments and rapid isolation if symptoms develop.

Exemptions and Inter-Agency Enforcement

The policy excludes several categories of travelers to maintain critical international functions and humanitarian interests. The entry suspension does not apply to:

- US citizens, nationals, and lawful permanent residents.

- Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, overseas government personnel, and their accompanying families.

- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approved travel itineraries that follow strict, CDC-compliant public health mitigation protocols.

- Individuals granted specific exceptions by customs officers based on humanitarian, public health, or law enforcement interests.

The CDC coordinated the directive with the Department of State and the DHS. Aligned operational plans have been finalized by the DHS to enforce the order at major gateway airports, including New York (JFK), Washington (IAD), Atlanta (ATL), Chicago (ORD), and Los Angeles (LAX).

Next Steps and Public Input

While international health bodies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC work on regional containment on the ground in Africa, the U.S. government will use the 30-day pause to develop a long-term containment strategy.

Over the next month, public health experts plan to conduct a risk assessment of the Bundibugyo strain, upgrade domestic diagnostic and surveillance capabilities, and finalize a mitigation plan.

Additionally, the CDC has opened a simultaneous 30-day public comment period to gather public input for the long-term health security strategy.