Uganda mandates 21-day self-paid quarantine for returnees from DR Congo

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 4,800 people since May. Uganda announced on Sunday that citizens returning from the region must undergo 21 days of quarantine at their own expense to prevent the disease from entering the country.

The health ministry introduced the measures on Sunday. The rules bar travelers who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo from transiting through Uganda. The ministry reported that it has intensified screening procedures at Entebbe International Airport and all land border crossings, including additional checks at designated road checkpoints.

Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi stated that only essential travelers from the Democratic Republic of Congo would be admitted. He described the incoming restrictions as "intense public health measures" designed "to ensure that we keep Uganda free of Ebola." The ministry noted that the Bundibugyo species driving this outbreak is rare and lacks a specific vaccine, though trials are currently under way.

The new protocol follows the detection of two positive cases in Kenya and Nigeria. Both individuals passed through Entebbe airport on the same day. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, identified the Nigerian patient as the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat. The Kenyan patient was a businessman with interests in the Democratic Republic of Congo who died two days after arriving in Nairobi.

Kenya has confirmed eight other cases linked to the outbreak. A second woman, a relative of the Kenyan businessman, died over the weekend. Diana Atwine, the health ministry's permanent secretary, said CCTV footage confirmed no physical interaction occurred between the two travelers in Uganda. The ministry stated that all 60 people monitored after contact with the Kenyan patient have been discharged.

Uganda reported 20 cases and two deaths early in the outbreak. The World Health Organization declared the country free of the disease in August. The ministry said on Sunday that Uganda and Nigeria are collaborating to determine the Nigerian patient's full travel history and possible exposure routes, after officials previously stated she only transited through Uganda.

Baryomunsi said the recent cases demonstrate the risk has not passed. He noted that Uganda shares a border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, where transmission continues. He added that the two nations maintain close links through trade, travel, and family ties.