The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread wildly, outpacing the international response efforts sprinting to catch up to the deadly Bundibugyo virus strain. The outbreak was first announced May 15 and is already the third largest recorded. The World Health Organization’s latest numbers as of May 24 are 1,018 cases (906 suspected, 112 confirmed) with 234 deaths (223 suspected, 11 confirmed). But these are known to be a significant undercount of the true spread and are also likely out of date by now.
The WHO and other national health agencies are calling for international support and collaboration to bring the outbreak under control. But it appears that the US is instead choosing to try to wall itself off—even to its own citizens and lawful residents.
On Friday, the Trump administration announced it was escalating its controversial travel ban, now barring even lawful permanent residents (green card holders) from entering the country if they have traveled to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the 21 days prior. The move is in addition to already barring non-US passport holders with such a travel history. Notably, Uganda has only reported seven cases and one death in the outbreak; there have been no reported cases in South Sudan.
On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is trying to beef up airport screening for Ebola. But the agency, which lacks a director and other high-ranking leaders, has been ravaged by deep staffing and budget cuts, political interference, and organizational upheaval from the Trump administration. As such, it’s having trouble finding the personnel to carry out the airport screens. Jay Bhattacharya, the Trump official overseeing the agency for now, resorted to sending an email to CDC staff asking them to volunteer for the task, which involves taking travelers’ temperatures and asking them questions. Volunteers can be from any pay grade, Bhattacharya noted in his email.
Also on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is planning to continue blocking American citizens from being repatriated if they have been exposed to the virus or infected amid the outbreak. According to the report, the US is working to instead set up a quarantine and treatment facility in Kenya. In past Ebola outbreaks, citizens have been repatriated to the US, which Trump had criticized.