The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has cancelled its pre-World Cup training camp in Kinshasa due to an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country. According to BBC, preparations have been moved to Belgium amid the upsurge, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people.
Key Takeaways
DR Congo has relocated its World Cup training camp from Kinshasa to Belgium due to an Ebola outbreak in the east of the country. The WHO has declared it a public health emergency but not a pandemic. Over 130 people have died, and travel restrictions are impacting team preparations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the outbreak a 'public health emergency of international concern,' but emphasized it does not meet pandemic level criteria. The DRC national football team will now prepare in Belgium ahead of friendly matches against Denmark on June 3 and Chile on June 9, before their first World Cup game against Portugal on June 17.
Travel restrictions imposed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have impacted the team's plans. As reported by Reuters, non-US passport holders who have been in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days are prohibited from entering the country. This has led to some team staff based in DRC leaving the country ahead of the deadline.
The outbreak has been caused by a rare species of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, for which there is currently no vaccine. The WHO estimates that 139 people have died out of 600 suspected cases, though Congolese health minister Samuel Roger Kamba reported 159 deaths on state broadcaster RTNC TV.
An Air France flight headed to Detroit was diverted to Montreal after a passenger from the DRC boarded 'in error' amid new Ebola-related travel restrictions. According to The Guardian, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stated that the passenger should not have boarded due to entry restrictions aimed at reducing Ebola risk. The flight was prohibited from landing in Detroit and instead diverted to Montreal.
As reported by Los Angeles Times, the DHS has implemented further entry restrictions beginning on Thursday for foreign travellers arriving to the US from countries at the center of the outbreak. All US-bound flights carrying foreign travelers who have been in Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days must land at Washington-Dulles International Airport.
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