expanded Ebola-related – The State Department is considering expanding an Ebola-related visa pause, potentially barring applicants who have been to South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Uganda within 21 days. The move follows an earlier suspension at U.S. embassies and com
By Friday afternoon, the question hanging over travelers and applicants wasn’t whether the Trump administration would announce a policy. It was how far the Ebola restrictions would reach.
The State Department was reported to be looking to expand its Ebola-related pause on visas. with planning documents showing the administration may suspend visa issuance to anyone who had been to an affected country within three weeks. The proposal would build on a step already taken earlier this week. when visa issuance was suspended at the U.S. embassies in Juba, Kinshasa, and Kampala.
Documents reviewed showed a timeline tightening around eligibility: potential immigrants or visitors to the U.S. who had been to South Sudan. the Democratic Republic of Congo. or Uganda within the past 21 days would not be eligible for a visa. Newsweek had reached out to the State Department through its contact form for comment on Friday afternoon.
The potential expansion would cover both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, including people traveling for tourism, business, and study. On May 18, the State Department said the pause applies to those seeking immigrant and nonimmigrant visas.
The reasons for the pause are framed around public health and safety. In a May 18 press release. the State Department said the Department of State is committed to ensuring the visa process upholds the highest standards for U.S. public health and safety. A similar justification was used for the planned expansion—stopping the spread of the disease.
That language echoes decisions the U.S. made during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the government sought to restrict visa approvals for people from affected countries while efforts were under way and there was no vaccine.
As for how long the new or expanded restriction could last, the timing remained unclear as of Friday afternoon. The State Department had said Monday it would reach out to applicants with updates.
For health officials, the urgency is tied to the outbreak’s scale. The World Health Organization said Friday the Ebola outbreak was posing a “very high” risk for Congo, even as the risk of global spread remained low.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 82 cases and seven deaths had been confirmed in Congo, but the outbreak was believed to be “much larger.” He said there are now 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths across the region.
Ebola’s behavior is one reason officials have focused so hard on contact and screening. Ebola can infect humans when they have been in close contact with the blood. secretions. organs. or other bodily fluids of infected animals—usually fruit bats. chimpanzees. gorillas. monkeys. forest antelope. or porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest.
Dr. Paul Spiegel. director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at Johns Hopkins University. previously told Newsweek that direct risk to Americans right now is “low.” He said Ebola is not airborne. and that the Bundibugyo strain driving this outbreak spreads only through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who already has symptoms.
The restrictions also intersect with how travelers are being directed at U.S. airports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday it was imposing new health restrictions on people who had recently been to the three affected countries. requiring them to arrive exclusively through Washington Dulles International Airport for screening.
CDC officials warned passengers of possible flight changes or cancellations as airlines adjust to the measures. The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said it was coordinating with federal agencies to support expanded health measures.
“The Airports Authority is working with federal partners to support efforts led by the Centers for Disease Control affecting various international flights arriving at Dulles Airport. This includes providing staff and public safety resources as needed. We are not expecting any significant impacts on airport customers,” the authority said.
The sequence is now tightening from public health guidance into visa eligibility rules. First came the suspension of visa issuance at embassies in Juba, Kinshasa, and Kampala earlier this week. Now the State Department is reported to be weighing an additional cut—moving the decision from specific posts to a wider eligibility cutoff tied to travel within the past 21 days. even as WHO reports a growing outbreak footprint in Congo and the CDC directs travelers through a single U.S. airport.
Ebola visa pause State Department U.S. embassies Juba Kinshasa Kampala South Sudan Democratic Republic of Congo Uganda Washington Dulles CDC