US Bars Direct Travel from DR Congo over Ebola Outbreak

The Trump administration has barred US citizens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from traveling directly to the US on commercial flights as the country's Ebola outbreak continues to spread.

According to a White House official, US citizens currently in DR Congo, or those who have recently left, will be placed on a "Do Not Board" list and must spend at least 21 days in a third country before traveling to the US.

The restrictions come as confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo have risen to 1,926, including 702 deaths, according to official figures released on Sunday.

The White House said about 24 US citizens were scheduled to fly to the US on Tuesday after travelling in the DR Congo. The State Department will assist those affected during the waiting period.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said last week that an American humanitarian worker in DR Congo had contracted the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The patient was later transferred to Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany for treatment.

Ebola is a highly contagious viral disease spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people or animals and can cause severe fever, vomiting, and internal and external bleeding.