OTTAWA, Canada — Canada and the Bahamas have announced temporary travel restrictions targeting residents from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda and South Sudan, as concerns grow over the regional spread of Ebola.
The Canadian government said on Tuesday that residents from the three countries will be barred from entering Canada for 90 days starting Wednesday, in a precautionary measure aimed at reducing the risk of Ebola importation and domestic transmission.
Authorities said the decision is part of a broader public health containment strategy designed to prevent the virus from entering Canada’s healthcare system, which is considered highly sensitive to imported infectious diseases.
In the Caribbean, the government of The Bahamas announced similar measures, stating that its restrictions take immediate effect and will remain in place for 30 days, subject to review by the Ministry of Health.
The Bahamian government said the move follows ongoing global monitoring of the outbreak and is intended to strengthen border health security. Reuters first reported the decision.
The measures come amid heightened international concern over the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has been spreading in parts of East and Central Africa.
The World Health Organization has classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, warning that the risk of further spread within the region remains “very high” due to cross-border movement and ongoing transmission clusters.
Last week, the United States also tightened entry requirements, banning non-citizens who had recently travelled to affected countries from entering its territory, while introducing enhanced screening and monitoring measures at major ports of entry.
Under Canada’s new guidelines, citizens, permanent residents and other eligible travellers who have been in affected areas will still be allowed entry but must undergo mandatory 21-day quarantine starting May 30, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
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The Bahamas has also introduced enhanced screening procedures and possible quarantine requirements for foreign nationals who have visited the affected countries within the past 30 days.
Health authorities in all three countries stressed that, to date, no Ebola cases have been reported in Canada, the United States or the Bahamas.
Public health experts say such precautionary border measures are aimed at slowing potential importation of the virus, but emphasize that effective outbreak control still depends heavily on rapid detection, contact tracing and strong health system coordination in affected regions.
