The U.S. government has privately urged European capitals to consider restricting travel from Central African countries hit by a growing Ebola outbreak, saying the move could help reduce the risk of the virus spreading during the busy World Cup period.
U.S. diplomats delivered a formal demarche on June 1 asking nations to limit entry for people who recently spent time in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan, according to a European Union diplomat in Africa and another person familiar with the talks. The diplomat said EU governments had not yet replied.
Washington has already tightened its own rules. In late May, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention barred non-citizens who had been in those three countries within 21 days from entering the United States, and asked Americans arriving from the region to pass through designated airports for health checks.
“We can’t let Ebola reach our shores,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters in recent comments, reflecting the administration’s focus on keeping potentially exposed people overseas even as U.S. hospitals stand ready to treat cases if needed.
A State Department official, speaking on background, said the travel guidance and U.S. funding for the response show America has “stepped up” against the Bundibugyo strain, which the World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency.
“Other countries must do their part,” the official added. “That means helping financially and taking commonsense steps on travel from affected areas.”
Axios first reported the U.S. request. The European Union did not immediately comment. The State Department said Rubio spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday to discuss the response; department spokesman Tommy Pigott said its top priority is protecting Americans and preventing the outbreak from spreading.
The administration also says it has shipped 150 tons of medical supplies and pledged more than $200 million to help contain the outbreak — the largest direct contribution so far.
Still, critics point to past aid cuts and the winding down of some U.S. foreign assistance programs as complicating the wider international effort.
The outbreak has already disrupted travel and planning in parts of Africa as governments and event organisers prepare for the FIFA World Cup, which begins on Thursday in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.