Canada tightens health measures for arrivals from Ebola outbreak areas

Ottawa —
Canada announced the imposition of stricter health measures on arrivals from areas experiencing an Ebola outbreak, as a precautionary step aimed at reducing any potential risk of the virus reaching the country.

The measures include requiring travelers coming from affected areas to undergo self-isolation for 21 days, which is the known maximum incubation period of the disease.

The authorities also decided to temporarily suspend the final decision on some immigration applications submitted by citizens of the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda for 90 days, with the possibility of reviewing the decision according to developments in the epidemiological situation.

Health officials said the measures will remain in effect until August 29, as part of what they described as a move "out of extreme caution," especially with the escalation of the outbreak in northeastern Congo.

Any traveler showing symptoms related to Ebola will be transferred to the hospital for further medical evaluation, while authorities will provide isolation places for people who do not have a suitable location for quarantine.

The step comes after warnings that the current outbreak has exceeded local response capacities in some areas, with hundreds of suspected cases and more than 220 deaths recorded.

Canadian authorities confirmed that the measures are preventive and temporary, aiming to protect public health while continuing to monitor the epidemiological situation in the affected countries.