The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has invoked the Quarantine Act to introduce new temporary border restrictions aimed at keeping Ebola virus disease out of the country. Beginning at 11:59 p.m. ET on July 20, 2026, all foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the previous 21 days will be refused boarding on flights to Canada or denied entry at the land border. Canadian citizens, permanent residents and persons registered under the Indian Act remain eligible to enter, but must undergo a health assessment on arrival and complete a mandatory 21-day quarantine. PHAC’s interim order also requires commercial and private air carriers to screen passengers’ travel histories before check-in. The measure complements an existing Order-in-Council from May 30 that already restricts travel by foreign nationals from Uganda and South Sudan. All three countries are managing active Ebola outbreaks that the World Health Organization has classified as a public-health emergency of international concern. Although Canadian public-health officials describe the domestic risk as low, they warn that even a single imported case could strain provincial health-care systems. For multinational companies rotating staff through Central Africa, the ban has immediate operational implications. Employees who transited or worked in the DRC within the last three weeks will have to reroute through a third country, delay travel or—if they hold Canadian passports—prepare for quarantine on arrival. Employers are advised to review duty-of-care protocols, confirm medical-evacuation coverage and update travel-approval workflows in their mobility management systems. PHAC recommends that organisations routinely check the federal Travel Advice and Advisories website for further changes and remind travellers to keep verifiable records of their itineraries. The current measures are scheduled to remain in force until at least August 29, 2026, but officials have signalled that the timeline could be extended or shortened depending on the epidemiological situation in Central Africa.
Source: CNW / PHAC news release
