The federal government has restricted entry into the United States from portions of Africa to just three airports, ordering that all travelers who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past three weeks must arrive through Houston’s Bush Intercontinental Airport, Virginia’s Dulles International Airport, or Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The directive, issued Friday by the U.S. State Department and backed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection, applies to all passengers, including U.S. citizens.
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection will apply enhanced public health screening at IAD in response to the Ebola outbreak,” the State Department notice read. “This requirement applies to all passengers, including U.S. citizens, who were present in those countries.”
The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa a public health emergency of international concern.
Bush Airport in Houston joins Dulles and Atlanta as designated entry points effective Tuesday, May 27, after 10:59 p.m. Houston time. The expansion adds capacity ahead of a significant complicating factor: both Houston and Atlanta are scheduled host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which opens in June.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s national soccer team is expected to establish base camps in both cities. The DRC’s first group-stage match is set for June 17 in Houston.
Ebola spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids, including blood, vomit, feces, and semen. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding. The virus carries a high fatality rate without prompt medical intervention.
Federal health officials have not disclosed the specific screening procedures that will be applied at the three airports, or how long the entry restrictions will remain in effect.
The restriction adds a new dimension to the federal government’s preparation for one of the largest international sporting events ever held on U.S. soil. More than a million international visitors are expected across 16 host cities during the tournament, which runs through mid-July.
