The United States announced on Monday the strengthening of Ebola prevention measures, including health checks at airports for passengers arriving from affected zones and a temporary suspension of visas. The decision comes after confirmation that an American citizen contracted the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as stated by Satish Pillai, who leads Ebola incident management at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Since Monday, the US has restricted entry for travelers from Uganda, the DRC, and South Sudan. The measure, based on Title 42 of the US public health law, will initially be in effect for 30 days, according to a document published by the CDC. US military personnel, diplomats, and their immediate family members (spouses and children) are exempt from the ban.
Meanwhile, Mexico's Health Secretariat issued a preventive advisory for people traveling from the DRC and Uganda to the country. Mexican authorities classified the risk as "low" but said in a statement that they are maintaining international epidemiological surveillance due to the active outbreak of Bundibugyo ebolavirus disease in areas of active transmission.