In a notice published in the Federal Register on 13 November 2026, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention renewed its public-health order suspending the entry of most non-U.S. citizens who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) within the preceding 21 days. Airlines must continue to require passengers to sign an attestation confirming they have not recently been in the affected regions, and carriers face civil penalties for non-compliance. The order follows confirmation of additional Bundibugyo-strain Ebola cases in eastern DRC provinces and extends a series of rolling restrictions first imposed in May 2026. Travelers who qualify for national-interest or humanitarian exemptions must route through one of six U.S. airports equipped for enhanced screening and agree to 21-day symptom monitoring. Global mobility managers should update pre-travel questionnaires and booking tools to flag employees who have transited central Africa—even briefly—for business or rotational assignments. Failure to do so could result in denied boarding or mandatory quarantine on arrival. Organizations with operations in mining, energy and NGOs working in the DRC are advised to explore remote-work solutions or third-country staging until the outbreak is contained. While the measure targets a limited geographic area, it signals the Biden-era precedent of leveraging public-health powers for immigration control remains intact under the current administration. Companies should anticipate that similar disease-specific travel advisories could be re-activated with little notice.
Source: Federal Register
