by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 1:35 PM ET, Wed July 15, 2026
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued new guidance for travelers heading to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where the latest Ebola outbreak continues to spread.
According to Reuters, the new requirement was issued on July 14 and now states that U.S. citizens who have traveled to the DRC must spend 21 days in a third country before entering the United States. These new restrictions also apply to some travelers from Uganda and South Sudan.
The CDC’s latest update on the Ebola response states: “American citizens who are departing from DRC may be subject to a DO NOT BOARD (DNB) order by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to reduce the risk of Ebola importation into the United States. Americans can return to the United States 21 days after leaving DRC.”
The CDC also extended its May 18 travel ban for non-U.S. citizens who have visited DRC, Uganda or South Sudan within 21 days of arriving in the United States for another month.
Additionally, those allowed to enter the United States from Uganda or South Sudan will be rerouted to a designated airport for public health screenings. These airports include Washington-Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, George Bush Intercontinental Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.
"This change in policy risks shifting medical and public-health responsibility to third countries, it may encourage travelers to conceal itineraries or exposures, and it will make recruitment of American outbreak responders more difficult,” Dr. Daniel Jernigan told Reuters about the new move. Jernigan is a former senior CDC official who led the response to the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, calling the new policy “unprecedented.”
Official data has confirmed over 1,900 Ebola cases in DRC and over 700 deaths, all related to the new Bundibugyo strain. No cases have been reported within the United States. There were 20 confirmed cases in Uganda, and one reported case in France.
The DRC is labeled a Level 4 travel risk by the U.S. State Department due to several reasons, including Ebola, crime, unrest and terrorism, discouraging any travel to the African nation.
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