The Liberal government in Ottawa will bar foreign nationals who have set foot in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past 21 days from entry to Canada due to the risk of importing the deadly Ebola virus.
The Canadian Press reports that, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the new temporary measure will come into effect on Monday at 11:59 pm.
Commercial and private air carriers are also not allowed to board those foreign nationals on flights into the country.
The World Health Organization has said Congo’s current Ebola epidemic has become the third largest on record. The virus causing the disease has spread rapidly, resulting in more than 2,100 reported cases and 864 deaths.
The Canadian government said it’s taking a cautious approach as it tightens border restrictions, even though the overall risks remain low to Canadians.
It said the step is being taken to “increase the effectiveness and sustainability of border measures that can safely process travellers arriving in Canada, including our returning humanitarian workers.”
Canadian citizens and permanent residents must quarantine for 21 days if they’ve been to Congo, Uganda or South Sudan.
