The Department of Homeland Security has mandated that all U.S.-bound citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days prior to entry must arrive exclusively at Washington Dulles International Airport for enhanced screening. This directive follows a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emergency order restricting travel from these nations.

The State Department confirmed that travelers meeting the criteria must undergo heightened public health protocols at Dulles, which handles the majority of arrivals from the affected countries. The CDC’s implementation is time-limited to 30 days from its issuance date and aims to address the immediate risk of Ebola introduction into the United States while enabling further assessment and response planning.

This single-airport screening approach differs from the multi-airport strategy used during the 2014–2016 West African Ebola outbreak, with infectious disease experts noting potential logistical strain for travelers. Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, chief executive of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, emphasized that broader regional coordination would be preferable but noted resource constraints often hinder such efforts.