US expands Ebola ban to green cards

The Trump administration widened its Ebola travel controls on May 23 to include lawful permanent residents, barring green-card holders who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days from entering the United States. The move followed a May 18 CDC order that had already suspended entry for many non-citizens and directed returning Americans through designated airports for health screening. CDC said the updated restriction on permanent residents was needed to prevent Ebola from entering the country, while maintaining that the immediate risk to the U.S. public remains low. ### Who is now covered by the U.S. restriction? The May 23 CDC update added lawful permanent residents to a group that had already included non-citizens who were recently present in the three countries. U.S. citizens and nationals are still allowed to return, but they are subject to routing and screening requirements if they were in those countries within 21 days of arrival. (usnews.com) CDC said the order is temporary and remains in effect for 30 days from its May 18 issuance. The agency said applying the authority to lawful permanent residents “for a limited period of time” balanced public health protection with emergency response resources. ### Which airports are screening travelers now? Washington Dulles International Airport began enhanced screening on May 20 for U.S.-bound travelers covered by the order. (usnews.com) CDC then expanded the program to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport effective 11:59 p.m. Eastern time on May 22, and notices issued by U.S. authorities said George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston would begin screening for covered flights departing after 11:59 p.m. local time on May 26. NPR reported that travelers returning from the affected countries were initially being funneled to Dulles, with Atlanta and Houston added in the following days. CDC said the airport checks are part of a broader system that also includes overseas exit screening, airline illness reporting and post-arrival monitoring by state and local health departments. (cdc.gov) ### What is happening in the outbreak itself? CDC said on May 23 that no U.S. cases tied to the current outbreak had been confirmed and that the overall risk to the American public and travelers remained low. The agency said the outbreak involved Ebola Bundibugyo disease in the DRC and Uganda, with South Sudan included in the travel controls because of regional risk and movement across borders. (opb.org) As of May 23, CDC said the DRC had reported 746 suspected cases, 83 confirmed cases, 176 suspected deaths and 9 confirmed deaths, while Uganda had reported 5 confirmed cases and 1 confirmed death. CDC also said Uganda had announced three additional cases on May 23 linked to earlier infections in people who had traveled from the DRC. ### Why are some public-health experts criticizing the policy? (cdc.gov) ABC News reported that public-health specialists said tracking travel exposure is an important part of disease control but warned that broader bans can hinder containment efforts. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said a targeted travel policy may help initially only if it is part of broader efforts to stop spread at the source. (cdc.gov) Brownstein also said broad restrictions can create a “false sense of safety” because travelers may be infected but asymptomatic at entry and tracing becomes harder when people move across borders or health systems are strained. That criticism echoes longstanding World Health Organization opposition to broad border closures during outbreaks, although the U.S. government has defended the measures as part of its emergency response. (abcnews.com) ### What happens next for travelers and officials? The State Department said on May 23 that it had activated an Ebola Response Task Force and was operating a 24/7 consular hotline for affected Americans abroad. CDC said it may adjust public health measures as the outbreak evolves, and Houston is scheduled to join Dulles and Atlanta as a screening entry point for covered travelers after 11:59 p.m. local time on May 26. (state.gov) (abcnews.com)