DRC Football Team Granted Entry to World Cup Despite Ebola Restrictions

US Imposes Ebola-Related Entry Ban, Exempts Democratic Republic of Congo Football Team

The United States has implemented a ban on non-American travelers who have visited the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days. The measure is aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola, a deadly virus that has been reported in these countries.

According to a senior Department of State official, an exemption has been granted for the DRC football team, which will compete in the World Cup. The team had already begun training in Europe and may not have been subject to the ban even if they had visited one of the affected countries recently.

The official stated that the DRC team would be subject to strict screening and testing protocols similar to those applied to American citizens returning from abroad. However, this exemption does not apply to ordinary fans from the DRC who wish to attend the team’s matches in the United States.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is set to begin its World Cup campaign against Portugal on June 17 in Texas. The US Department of State has taken steps to ensure that the DRC football team can participate in the tournament without interruption.

Source: Al Jazeera