OTTAWA — The Canadian government says travellers from Ebola-affected regions will be required to self-isolate for 21 days, while immigration authorities are temporarily suspending applications from Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.
Luc Brisebois, director-general for the Centre for Border and Travel Health at the Public Health Agency of Canada, says the measures will stay in place until Aug. 29. “The risk to Canadians remains low. This is really out of an abundance of caution,” Brisebois said, given the severity of Ebola disease and the evolving international situation, as well as the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Global Affairs Canada’s list of orange-level travel advisories, warning Canadians to avoid non-essential travel (and nullifying travel insurance coverage), now includes Uganda, popular for gorilla treks and safari drives. The latest updates from Global Affairs Canada can be found here.
“IT WILL TAKE ONE CASE”
Health Minister Marjorie Michel said the government is taking these actions now, despite the low risk in Canada, because “the risk will be higher” due to summer travels and World Cup games.
“It will take one case. One. Not two. One case. And everybody will say, we didn’t put [border restrictions],” Michel said taking questions from reporters in Ottawa.
The World Health Organization’s director-general said Monday the outbreak was outpacing response efforts, with more than 900 suspected cases and more than 220 deaths in the Congo and Uganda. There is no specific vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo virus at the heart of the spread.
All travellers entering Canada will be assessed by border officials and those who have symptoms will be transferred to hospital for further medical assessment.
The stricter border measures are being implemented under the Quarantine Act starting Saturday, and those who do not have a place to isolate will be provided with a place.
Canadian officials also say that starting tomorrow, they are pausing final decisions on immigration applications for 90 days, though that could be extended or lifted based on the evolution of the outbreak.
The World Health Organization’s director-general says an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola is outpacing response efforts, with more than 900 suspected cases and more than 220 deaths. There has never been a case of Ebola disease imported into Canada and there are currently no cases of Ebola disease in North America.