US urges Europe to impose Ebola travel bans ahead of World Cup

WASHINGTON/NAIROBI — The Trump administration has urged European countries to follow Washington’s lead and impose travel restrictions on individuals who have recently been in Central African countries affected by the Ebola outbreak, according to sources and officials, in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading ahead of the soccer World Cup.

On June 1, the United States issued a diplomatic demarche — a formal expression of concern — calling on European governments to adopt travel restrictions linked to the outbreak, a European Union diplomat based in Africa and a second source familiar with the matter said. The diplomat said EU member states had not yet issued a response.

Last month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ordered restrictions barring non-citizens who had been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days from entering the United States. U.S. citizens are required to enter through designated airports for screening.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Ebola must not be allowed to reach the United States. The administration’s approach has focused on preventing potential exposure abroad, despite the country having medical facilities equipped to treat Ebola cases while containing transmission.

A State Department official said the combination of travel restrictions and U.S. financial assistance to outbreak response efforts demonstrates Washington has “stepped up” to protect Americans from the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which the World Health Organization has declared a public health emergency of international concern.

“Other countries must do their part to ensure this outbreak does not spread further. Action is required now. That includes financial contributions and implementing commonsense restrictions on travel from the affected area,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“We are engaging diplomatically with countries around the world to coordinate our approach to protect our citizens, including the millions of visitors, fans, athletes and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup.”

The official did not comment directly on the reported request to European countries, which was first reported by Axios.

The European Union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Rubio and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed the Ebola response during a call on Tuesday, the State Department said.

“The department’s highest priority remains protecting the health of the American people and preventing this Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a readout of the call.

The Trump administration, which has faced criticism over the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development and cuts to foreign aid funding ahead of the outbreak, said it has delivered 150 tons of medical supplies and pledged more than $200 million to affected countries, making it the largest financial contributor to the response.

The outbreak has complicated travel preparations ahead of the FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and is set to begin on Thursday.

— Reporting by Simon Lewis in Washington and Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi; additional reporting by Julia Payne in Brussels; editing by Caroline Humer and Matthew Lewis/Reuters