Ebola Virus: More countries restrict travel to outbreak areas.

Given the increasing spread of the Ebola virus, many countries are actively implementing measures to prevent its transmission.

Medical personnel administer Ebola vaccines to residents in Bulape, Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: THX/VNA.

On May 21, the Ugandan government decided to suspend all public passenger transport to and from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Ebola epidemic is raging. The decision will officially take effect within 48 hours of its announcement.

In an official announcement, the Ugandan Ministry of Health stated that all public transport, including cross-border ferries and buses, will be suspended for four weeks. However, this measure does not apply to the transport of goods and food. In addition, all flights to the Democratic Republic of Congo have also been suspended. The Permanent Secretary of the Ugandan Ministry of Health, Diana Atwine, stated: "Because Uganda is located so close to the epicenter of the outbreak and has significant cross-border trade, the risk of further disease transmission remains high."

Last week, a serious outbreak of the Ebola virus was reported in Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Uganda. Uganda subsequently reported two suspected cases of Ebola, both Congolese citizens who had crossed the border, including one confirmed case and one death. However, Uganda maintains that there are currently no community cases of Ebola, after one suspected case tested negative twice in a row.

Ebola treatment center in Bulape, Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: THX/VNA.

According to figures released by the National Institute of Public Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (INSP) on May 22, the Ebola virus is believed to have claimed the lives of 160 people out of 671 suspected cases in the country.

Given the serious developments of the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for this outbreak. To respond to the risk of the disease, earlier this week, the US tightened screening procedures for air passengers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. Bahrain also announced a one-month entry ban for travelers from these three countries.

In the latest development, US officials announced they are diverting all passenger flights returning from countries experiencing Ebola outbreaks to a single airport in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area for screening. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued this regulation, officially applying it to flights departing after 11:59 PM on May 20th (10:59 AM on May 21st Hanoi time).

Specifically, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that individuals who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo or its two neighboring countries, Uganda and South Sudan, within the past 21 days are required to enter the United States through Washington Dulles International Airport, in suburban Virginia. Passengers scheduled to fly from affected countries to the US will be contacted by their airlines to change their tickets to Dulles Airport.

At Dulles Airport, passengers in this category will undergo a rigorous screening process. They will complete detailed surveys about their travel history, be closely monitored for symptoms, have their temperature taken, and be required to provide contact tracing information when necessary. The US CDC notes that if no symptoms appear, passengers will be allowed to continue their journey to their final destination and will receive specific instructions on how to monitor their health at home.

Meanwhile, on May 22, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would expand the scope of its travel ban in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the ministry, a Level 4 travel advisory – the highest level in South Korea's four-level travel advisory system – for Ituri province in the DRC will officially take effect at 2 PM that day, due to the continuously increasing number of deaths related to the virus. With this latest measure, South Korea increases the number of restricted travel areas in the DRC to three provinces: Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs further noted that its citizens who intentionally travel to or stay in these areas without special permission may face penalties under the Passport Act.

In addition, the ministry has just issued a Level 3 travel advisory recommending people to quickly leave areas within 50 km of the border with the Central African Republic, along with seven other provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Bas-Uele and Haut-Uele. South Korea is currently applying a special travel advisory for the remaining areas of this African nation.

The day before, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a special travel advisory for the entire territory of Uganda, after the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) identified the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan as priority countries for Ebola quarantine management.

According to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Ottawa, Canadian aid workers are heading to the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist in the response to the Ebola outbreak, amid reports that hundreds of people are believed to have been infected with a rare strain of the Ebola virus with a high mortality rate.

Chiran Livera, head of operations for the Canadian Red Cross in Halifax, said he would be traveling to Congo in the next few days, while a team of public health and logistics experts had already begun their journey. The work of the Canadian aid workers will include contact tracing, psychological support, and helping transport patients to treatment centers. Livera has participated in aid efforts during five of the 17 Ebola outbreaks in Congo. He noted that this outbreak is different because there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for the Ebola Bundibugyo strain.

Meanwhile, Trish Newport, a Canadian manager at an international health organization, said current preparations are insufficient to respond to the severity of the situation. According to her, aid workers lack enough body bags and personal protective equipment to ensure safe burials and prevent the spread of disease.

Canadian aid workers are responding to the outbreak as a Canadian citizen who recently returned from East Africa is being tested for Ebola. The Ontario Ministry of Health stated on May 21st that it is currently unclear which strain of Ebola the patient is being tested for and which areas of East Africa they traveled to. A spokesperson for Public Health Canada said the test samples are expected to be sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg on May 22nd.

According to VNA

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/virus-ebola-them-nhieu-nuoc-han-che-den-khu-vuc-bung-phat-dich-a486447.html