CDC renews Ebola-related entry restrictions for 30 days
The October 11 order continues restrictions involving specified travelers recently present in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan.
A public-health order is extended
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention renewed a temporary entry order Sunday for another 30 days as the United States continues measures related to the 2026 Ebola outbreak. The order covers specified foreign nationals who were physically present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan during the 21 days before seeking entry.
CDC first issued the order in May and has continued it through a series of renewals. The agency says the measure responds to the risk of introducing Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain. The October 11 continuation is expected to be published in the Federal Register.
The order is one part of a broader travel framework. Separate rules and screening procedures can apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents and other travelers, depending on where they traveled and their status. Anyone affected should consult current CDC and airline guidance rather than relying on a general headline.
The outbreak remains centered abroad
CDC’s October 9 situation summary said no cases connected to this outbreak had been confirmed in the United States and assessed the overall risk to the American public and travelers as low. It described the likelihood of the outbreak spreading to the United States as very low.
The agency reported 8,809 confirmed cases and 4,245 confirmed deaths as of October 7, with the overwhelming majority in the DRC. Those totals are part of a rapidly changing outbreak and can be revised as investigations and data standardization continue.
CDC said the DRC outbreak was spreading faster than previous Ebola outbreaks and had become the second-largest on record. Cases had also been reported in Uganda, Kenya and France, although the latest listed patients outside the DRC had recovered or died and no active cases were reported in Uganda or France.
What travelers need to distinguish
Travelers who were recently in the DRC face different boarding restrictions from travelers whose recent presence was limited to Uganda or South Sudan. CDC’s returning-traveler page says people, including Americans, who were in the DRC within 21 days of a U.S.-bound commercial flight should plan to remain outside the United States until that period has passed.
U.S. citizens and nationals recently in Uganda or South Sudan, but not the DRC, may be routed through designated U.S. airports for public-health screening. Other categories of travelers can face additional restrictions under the renewed order.
Ebola does not spread through ordinary casual contact before symptoms begin. Risk depends on exposure to blood or body fluids from an infected person or animal, contaminated materials and related circumstances. People who become ill after relevant travel should seek medical guidance and disclose their travel history before arriving at a facility.
The central facts for U.S. readers are therefore balanced: the outbreak is severe abroad and federal entry measures remain active, while CDC reports no associated U.S. cases and a low current risk to the general American public.