CANADA, BAHAMAS JOIN US TO IMPOSE EBOLA-RELATED TRAVEL BANS

Read Time:1 Minute, 29 Second

Canada and the Bahamas have recently added the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan to their list of countries from which travelers are temporarily prohibited, in order to help stop the spread of the Ebola virus.

On Tuesday, Canada’s Public Health Agency announced that people from those countries will not be allowed to enter Canada for 90 days, starting from Wednesday.

“This will mean that even those with a previously approved temporary resident visa, electronic travel authorization (eTA) or permanent resident visa will not be allowed to travel to Canada while their immigration document is suspended,” the statement reads.

Canadian citizens and residents who have also been in the affected African countries within the previous 21 days would have to quarantine for 21 days, the statement added.

Marjorie Michel, health minister, said the temporary border measures would help reduce the risk of Ebola disease entering the country while ensuring that travellers are managed based on their level of risk.

The Bahamas also announced enhanced health screenings ⁠and possible quarantines for foreigners who were present in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan within 30 days of arriving ⁠in the Caribbean country.

The archipelago added that ⁠its entry restrictions would take immediate effect and remain in place for a period of 30 days, subject to review by the Caribbean country’s health ministry.

Last week, the United States imposed similar travel bans on non-citizens travelling from the DRC, South Sudan or Uganda.

The United States plans to create a quarantine area in Kenya to help American people who might have come into contact with the Ebola virus after it appeared in the region.