US airports ramp up Ebola screenings amid Africa outbreak
Health officials at U.S. airports are implementing enhanced Ebola screenings for travelers arriving from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is working with airlines to identify possible exposures following over 130 deaths and nearly 600 suspected cases in Africa. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticized the response efforts of the CDC and World Health Organization (WHO).
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Congo is dealing with an outbreak of Ebola, and executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup Andrew Giuliani said the Congolese national soccer team must isolate if they want to enter the United States for the global tournament.
The U.S. has told FIFA, the Congolese government and national soccer team, that they must isolate for 21 days in order to enter the country for the World Cup. The team is currently training in Belgium and is scheduled to play two warmup games there.
“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani told ESPN. “We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer.”
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Meschack Elia of Congo reacts during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Play-Off final match between Congo DR and Jamaica at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, on March 31, 2026. (Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)
“We want to make sure that there is nothing that’s going to come in or near our borders here on this,” he said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been monitoring two American doctors who were in quarantine in Europe after being exposed to Ebola, Giuliani said. He said they have discussed sending staff to Belgium to check on the Congo team.
In Congo last week, they had a confirmed outbreak of Bundibugyo, a rare type of Ebola. It is thought to have killed more than 130 people, with nearly 600 suspected cases.
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Lens’ DR Congo defender Arthur Masuaku and Malian midfielder Amadou Haidara attend a training session at Stade de France stadium in Saint-Denis on May 21, 2026, ahead of the French Cup final against Nice on May 22, 2026. (Franck Fife/AFP)
“If there are other people that are going to be coming in, they need to have a separate bubble from that team. If they end up coming, and any of those people end up symptomatic, they are risking the entire team being able to come and compete in this World Cup,” Giuliani said.
The CDC announced this week that all foreign nationals who had been in Congo, Uganda and South Sudan within the past three weeks would be banned from entry into the United States for 30 days.
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Renaldo Cephas of Jamaica and Brian Cipenga of Congo compete for the ball during the FIFA World Cup 2026 play-off final at Estadio Guadalajara in Zapopan, Mexico, on March 31, 2026. (Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)
The Congo canceled a planned farewell by the team to fans and a three-day World Cup preparation training camp on Wednesday.
Congo is in Group K and is scheduled to play Portugal in their opening game in Houston on June 17. Their next two games are against Colombia in Guadalajara, Mexico, on June 23, and Uzbekistan in Atlanta on June 27.
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