By Kofoworola Fakeye, JKNewsMedia Reporter
TEMPORARY ENTERY restrictions have been imposed by United States (US) authorities on green card holders who travelled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in Africa within the last 21 days.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the order issued on Friday forms part of an expanded effort to prevent Ebola from entering US borders.
A previously announced restriction had blocked only non-US passport holders who had visited the three countries from entry, while exempting US citizens and lawful permanent residents.
The order states that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) have determined that allowing the director of the CDC or other secretarial delegate discretion to prohibit entry of certain lawful permanent residents is reasonably required in the interest of public health.
It also says green card holders may maintain stronger ties to families and communities outside the US than citizens and nationals, such that prohibiting their entry is comparatively less burdensome, explaining that that is why the entry restriction applies for an initial 30-day period.
In particular, US citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan now have a second point of entry, in addition to Washington’s Dulles airport, the CDC said.
The agency also stated that enhanced Ebola screening is being expanded to include Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta airport.
The CDC pointed to resource constraints in containing a quarantinable disease.
It said containing quarantinable communicable diseases on United States soil is highly resource intensive, requiring specialised and isolated facilities with limited capacity.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that eighteen people are currently in a dedicated quarantine unit at the University of Nebraska after being released from the hantavirus affected cruise ship MV Hondius.
In a separate statement, the CDC said applying this authority to lawful permanent residents for a limited period of time provides a balance between protecting public health and managing emergency response resources.
Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said, “Our No 1 objective on Ebola … has to be we can’t have it affect the United States. We can’t have Ebola cases coming here.”
On its past, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the risk of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo to very high, declaring the outbreak in that country, as well as in Uganda, an emergency of international concern.
Also, WHO reports 82 confirmed cases in Congo, with seven confirmed deaths, 177 suspected deaths and nearly 750 suspected cases linked to the Bundibugyo strain.
The Africa CDCP also said 10 African countries are at risk from the Ebola virus, listing Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia.
Reports also indicated that residents in a town at the epicentre of the outbreak in eastern Congo attacked and burned part of a health centre treating Ebola patients, with 18 suspected infected people leaving the facility.
Another treatment centre in Rwampara was also burned after family members were prevented from retrieving the body of a local man.
Reports also say that authorities in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people in efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
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