According to an announcement by the US Embassy in the Republic of the Congo, travellers, including American citizens, who have been in the DRC within 21 days before their scheduled departure to the United States will not be allowed to board flights bound for the country.
The restriction also applies to passengers whose aircraft stopped at an airport in the DRC, even if they did not leave the plane. Affected travellers must remain outside the United States for at least 21 days after leaving the DRC.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the measures are intended to reduce the risk of Ebola entering the country.
“The overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low,” the CDC said in its travel guidance.
The agency also requires passengers boarding international flights to the United States to declare that they have not been in the DRC during the previous 21 days.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the outbreak continues to spread across several parts of the DRC, with 10,879 confirmed cases and 5,302 deaths reported as of November 6, 2026.
In its November 6 update, WHO said, “sustained, high-level transmission continues overall in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.”
The organisation further warned that the situation requires stronger regional preparedness, including “cross-border surveillance, points of entry monitoring, timely case detection and coordinated preparedness and response measures.”
The outbreak has raised concerns about regional transmission because the DRC shares borders with several countries in the region.
However, WHO has advised against imposing general travel or trade restrictions on countries affected by the outbreak, emphasising the importance of coordinated public health measures.
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