The United States will require as of November 3 that all passengers leaving a foreign country or making a stopover sign an affidavit certifying that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 21 days prior to boarding.
As explained by the order of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this document is mandatory as a public health measure to reduce the risk of Ebola being introduced into the North American country. Specifically, the 21-day period corresponds to the maximum incubation time of this disease.
U.S. authorities consider any transit or connection by air, land, or sea in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to be a stay, including making a stopover at an airport, even without leaving the plane or the facilities.
In addition, airlines and other operators will be responsible for managing this new requirement and must verify that each passenger has submitted the document before allowing them to board the plane, whether completed in digital format or on paper.
In the event of not completing or handing in said affidavit, companies are obliged to deny boarding, unless the traveler has an exemption issued by the Government of the United States. In the event of false statements, there is the possibility of incurring criminal fines and prison.
The authorities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) confirmed yesterday Wednesday that the Ebola outbreak declared in mid-May has already surpassed the thresholds of 10,100 cases and 4,900 deaths, amid an expansion of the virus that threatens to turn this outbreak into the deadliest documented to date worldwide.
The National Public Health Institute (INSP) has pointed out that to date 10,141 infections and 4,928 deaths have been recorded, including 81 cases and 42 deaths during the last 24 hours, with an overall fatality rate of 48.6%.
Likewise, it has indicated that there are currently 999 people hospitalized or in isolation and has added that another 2,708 have been discharged after recovering from the disease. The rate of follow-up of patient contacts stands at 84.5%, rising in recent days.