by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 2:10 PM ET, Mon May 18, 2026
The United States is imposing entry restrictions for travelers departing from or traveling within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan recently, regardless of their country of origin, due to the Ebola outbreak that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently classified as a public health emergency.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told reporters on Monday, May 18 that the immediate risk is low, but the measures are in place to hopefully prevent potential spread outside of Africa.
Those who are not allowed to enter the United States for the next thirty days include those who have recently been to or departed from the DRC, Uganda and South Sudan during the past 21 days, according to Reuters.
However, the measure does not apply to U.S. citizens, nationals, lawful permanent residents, members of the military, government personnel, their spouses or their children, all of whom are likely to comprise the majority of travelers heading to the United States from these countries.
Screening for Ebola and contract tracing will also be implemented for travelers arriving from areas with Ebola cases.
The new restriction is under Title 42, part of U.S. public health law that allows federal health authorities the ability to prohibit migrants from entering the country to prevent the spread of contagious disease.
South Sudan is currently part of the Trump Administration’s full travel ban, which means that travelers from this country currently cannot visit the United States under most circumstances. The DRC and Uganda are not part of a travel ban.
"The risk of Bundibugyo (Ebola) virus disease introduction into the United States is heightened by the virus' incubation period, which can extend up to 21 days, allowing infected individuals to travel internationally while asymptomatic and therefore unlikely to be detected through routine symptom-based screening measures," the CDC said.
"At this time, CDC assesses the immediate risk to the general U.S. public as low, but we will continue to evaluate the evolving situation and may adjust public health measures as additional information becomes available.”
The outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo is suspected to have killed approximately 80 people in the past weeks, sparking fears of a larger surge and bringing more medical personnel to the region to deal with the outbreak.
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