Uganda has temporarily closed its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo for four weeks amid the worsening Ebola outbreak in the neighbouring country, a senior official from the Ugandan Ministry of Health announced.
Crossing points will remain open only for disease response teams, humanitarian aid, the transport of food and goods, and certain security personnel, all under strict conditions. Anyone arriving in Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo will be required to undergo a 21‑day quarantine, the official said during a press briefing.
Uganda has recorded seven Ebola cases and one death during the current outbreak, which is centred in the Ituri province of Congo.
In Congo, more than 900 suspected cases and over 220 deaths have been reported, according to the World Health Organization, which has declared a public health emergency of international concern for the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
