The Canadian government says travellers from Ebola-affected regions will be required to self-isolate for 21 days, while immigration authorities are temporarily suspending decisions on applications from Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Uganda.
Luc Brisebois, director-general for the Centre for Border and Travel Health at the Public Health Agency of Canada, says the measures are being implemented out of an “abundance of caution” and will stay in place until Aug. 29.
Travellers who have symptoms will be transferred to hospital for further medical assessment.
The stricter border measures are being implemented under the Quarantine Act starting Saturday, and those who do not have a place to isolate will be provided with a place.
Canadian officials also say that starting tomorrow, they are pausing final decisions on immigration applications for 90 days, though that could be extended or lifted based on the evolution of the outbreak.
The World Health Organization’s director-general says an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola is outpacing response efforts, with more than 900 suspected cases and more than 220 deaths.
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