Ebola outbreak prompts global travel restrictions

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]Yeah, good morning to you, Mary. It's only been 1 week since the World Health Organization declared Ebola a global public health emergency and already officials are admitting that this outbreak is spreading faster than they can contain it, which is why several countries now, including the US, are tightening their travel restrictions.

[00:00:18]Americans who are coming in from affected areas can only enter this country through airports here in Atlanta, in Dallas, in Virginia, and also starting today Bush Airport in Houston. And they're required to undergo enhanced screenings, including temperature checks. Meanwhile, if you are non-citizens, you're banned from coming into this country at all if you've been into those impacted areas in the last 3 weeks. That's because this virus is raging. Doctors now suspect nearly 900 infections, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

[00:00:50]Another 200 people are also suspected to have died from this virus. At least 10 African nations now being warned that they have an elevated transmission risk.

[00:01:00]With the FIFA World Cup just less than 3 weeks ago, or 3 weeks away rather, fears were growing that the virus could spread beyond just Central Africa, which is why the White House is now warning the Congolese soccer team, which is currently in Belgium, that their players could be denied entry into the US if they return to their home country before the FIFA matches begin here on June 11th. But George, despite all this anxiety and all these warnings, health officials do say that on a global level the threat of Ebola remains low for now, George.