Belgium Rejects US Demand for Ebola Travel Ban from DRC

Belgium on Wednesday rejected Washington's demand to impose an entry ban on travelers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, setting up a transatlantic clash over measures to prevent Ebola from spreading during the World Cup.

Speaking on Radio 1, Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said Belgium would continue following scientific advice rather than bowing to political pressure from Washington.

“We are in close consultation with the partners involved and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control,” he said. “Science concludes that action must be taken where the crisis is raging. An entry ban is not proposed to anyone at the moment.”

The minister explained Belgium is focusing on screening and controls at departure points in affected countries. “If someone does arrive here with symptoms, they will immediately go into quarantine,” Vandenbroucke said, adding that two Belgian hospitals were prepared to receive patients.

The remarks come after reports surfaced that U.S. Ambassador Bill White urged Belgium to adopt strict American-style travel restrictions on Congolese travelers ahead of the World Cup, which kicks off Thursday in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Daily flights connect Brussels to Kinshasa.

According to U.S. media,Washington has warned European countries that if they do not adopt America's tougher travel restrictions, they could be subject to U.S. entry bans.

Vandenbroucke on Wednesday accused the Trump administration of undermining the international response to the health crisis.

“The U.S. bears an overwhelming responsibility for what is happening now, because development cooperation and medical aid have been scaled back,” he said. “They are going to have millions of people on their conscience.”

Washington denies its aid cuts have impacted the detection of, or response to, the current Ebola outbreak.

Soon after the outbreak began, the U.S. deviated from World Health Organization guidance and imposed entry bans on non-U.S. citizens who had recently been in Ebola-affected countries in Central Africa.

Following a call on Tuesday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the State Department said its “highest priority” was preventing the virus from reaching American shores.

The WHO declared a global health emergency over the Ebola outbreak in May. Congolese authorities said Tuesday that confirmed cases had now climbed to nearly 600.