Trump orders strict quarantines for Ebola and hantavirus

President Donald Trump’s administration has moved to tighten quarantine and movement rules tied to Ebola and Andes hantavirus, extending a more restrictive public-health posture just as global officials meet in Geneva on pandemic coordination. Federal guidance issued in mid-May and a State Department notice on May 19 show the U.S. response now includes quarantine, home confinement and entry restrictions tied to the two outbreaks. Public-health experts cited by The New York Times said the measures went beyond what was needed to prevent domestic spread. The administration’s actions come as the World Health Assembly runs from May 18 to May 23, with WHO emphasizing surveillance, coordination and international health security. ### What exactly did the administration change? The State Department said on May 19 that the United States was implementing CDC’s Title 42 order restricting entry of foreign nationals of any nationality who had been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the previous 21 days. The same notice said affected American citizens would be evacuated “for medical treatment and/or quarantine and procedures,” and that the three countries were under updated Level 4 travel advisories. (cdc.gov) The CDC said in guidance updated May 21 that U.S. health departments should manage travelers arriving from countries affected by the 2026 Ebola outbreak and that states and local jurisdictions could choose measures that provide “a greater level of public health protection” than federal recommendations. The agency said the outbreak involves Bundibugyo virus disease, a type of Ebola, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, and it included South Sudan in the traveler guidance because of cross-border movement. (state.gov) ### Why is hantavirus included with Ebola? The CDC said on May 14 that its Andes virus guidance was written for people potentially exposed through the M/V Hondius outbreak. The agency said Andes virus is the only hantavirus known to spread person-to-person and that its recommendations were revised to clarify monitoring and activity restrictions for people with high-risk exposures. The same CDC guidance said person-to-person transmission of Andes virus is “relatively rare” and generally linked to prolonged close contact, with no documented presymptomatic transmission. (cdc.gov) It also said the goal of the recommendations was to reduce the likelihood of secondary transmission “even if the overall risk to the public remains low.” WHO said in a fact sheet updated May 6 that most hantavirus infections come from contact with infected rodents or their droppings, urine or saliva. (cdc.gov) The agency said Andes virus, found in South America, is the known hantavirus for which limited human-to-human transmission among close contacts has been documented. ### How unusual are the U.S. restrictions? The CDC’s Ebola guidance said it addresses travelers with no identified high-risk exposures, while separate guidance covers people with suspected or confirmed viral hemorrhagic fever or high-risk exposures. (cdc.gov) That distinction suggests the federal response is not limited to confirmed patients alone. The Washington Post reported on May 15 that CDC guidance for high-risk hantavirus contacts instructed them to stay home, limit contact with others, avoid visitors and coordinate essential travel with health departments. (who.int) The New York Times separately reported that health experts were “stunned” by the administration’s broader quarantine stance. ### What is happening internationally at the same time? (cdc.gov) WHO said the Seventy-ninth World Health Assembly is being held in Geneva from May 18 through May 23. The organization’s daily updates describe discussions on implementation, surveillance, financing and emergency coordination across global health programs. WHO’s May 21 daily update said member states endorsed work on a post-2030 tuberculosis strategy and linked that effort to universal health coverage and global health security. (washingtonpost.com) The WHO materials do not address the Trump administration’s quarantine orders directly, but they show the assembly’s focus on multilateral preparedness during the same week. ### What happens next? May 23 is the final scheduled day of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, where WHO is expected to continue publishing daily updates on emergency coordination and preparedness. (who.int) In the United States, the CDC said both its May 14 Andes virus guidance and its May 21 Ebola traveler guidance may be updated as new evidence becomes available. (who.int 1) (who.int 2)