US to Exempt DRC Football Team from Ebola Entry Ban for World Cup
Auf einen Blick
- The US will grant an exemption to its Ebola-related entry ban for the Democratic Republic of the Congo's football team, allowing them to participate in the World Cup.
- The team begins their campaign in Texas on June 17.
KI-generierte Zusammenfassung
Warum es wichtig ist
The United States has a ban on non-Americans who have recently been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan due to an Ebola outbreak. The DRC's national football team has qualified for the World Cup.
The United States will ensure that the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) football team can enter the country to play in the World Cup, making an exemption to an Ebola-related entry ban, according to a senior Department of State official.
“We expect the DRC team to be able to attend the World Cup,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The US has banned non-Americans who have been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days from visiting the country due to a deadly outbreak of Ebola.
The US official said the DRC team, the only one among the three countries to have qualified for football’s premier event, had already been training in Europe, so they may not have been subject to the ban in any case.
But if they had, in fact, been in the DRC over the last 21 days, they would be subject to the sort of strict screening required for returning US citizens.
“We’re working to get them into the same protocol for testing in isolation that American citizens returning and permanent residents would be,” the official said.
The official said the exemption would not apply to everyday fans from the DRC looking to come to cheer on the team.
The DRC begin their World Cup campaign in Texas against Portugal on June 17.
Offene Fragen
- What specific screening protocols will the DRC team undergo?
- Will any other individuals or groups be granted similar exemptions?
- What is the current status of the Ebola outbreak in the DRC?
