Red Cross workers wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) load on a pickup truck the coffin with the body of Dr. Tibenderana Katho Blaise who worked at the Centre Medical Evangelique (CME) in Hoho commune and died of Ebola virus, as aid agencies intensify efforts to contain a new Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus, before his burial in Bunia town, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on May 26, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Canada said on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) it will temporarily ban residents from three African countries amid an Ebola outbreak.
Residents of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan will be banned from entering Canada for 90 days starting on Wednesday (May 27, 2026), the Canadian government said. It said the temporary border measure aimed to reduce the risk of Ebola entering and spreading within Canada.
The World Health Organization on Friday (May 22, 2026) raised to “very high” the risk of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and has declared the outbreak there and in Uganda an emergency of international concern.
Last week, Washington banned non-citizens who had travelled to the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in recent weeks from entering the United States.
Canadian citizens, permanent residents and other foreign nationals who have been in affected areas in recent weeks and do not have symptoms will have to quarantine for 21 days from May 30, according to a statement from Canada’s public health agency. A source said earlier that The Bahamas was also expected to announce an entry ban on people who have travelled to the same three African countries in the past 21 days.
However, the Caribbean country’s government on Tuesday (May 26, 2026) only announced enhanced health screenings and possible quarantines for foreigners who were present in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within 30 days of arriving in the Caribbean country.
No cases of Ebola have been reported in the United States, Canada or The Bahamas.
Published – May 27, 2026 05:45 am IST