Belgium Rejects US Demand For Congo Travel Ban Amid Ebola Fears

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Worthy News) – Belgium has rejected a U.S. request to impose an entry ban on travelers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, deepening a transatlantic dispute over how to respond to a potentially deadly Ebola outbreak ahead of the FIFA World Cup, the global football (soccer) tournament beginning Thursday in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said Wednesday that Belgium would continue to follow scientific advice rather than adopt tougher travel restrictions requested by Washington.

Speaking on Belgium’s VRT Radio, Vandenbroucke said authorities were working closely with European partners and health experts.

“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 said Belgium was focusing on screening and controls at departure points in affected countries rather than imposing blanket travel bans.

BELGIUM RESPONSE

“If someone does arrive here with symptoms, they will immediately go into quarantine,” Vandenbroucke said, adding that two specialized Belgian hospitals are prepared to receive Ebola patients.

The remarks followed reports in Belgian media that U.S. Ambassador Bill White urged Belgium to adopt strict American-style restrictions on travelers from Congo.

Belgium maintains close transport links with Congo, its former colony, with regular flights connecting Brussels and Kinshasa.

According to reports, Washington has warned some European governments that failure to adopt stricter U.S. travel measures could result in entry restrictions on travelers from those countries.

Soon after the outbreak began, the United States departed from World Health Organization guidance by imposing entry bans on non-U.S. citizens who had recently visited Ebola-affected areas in Central Africa.

US CONCERNS

Following a recent conversation between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ursula von der Leyen, the U.S. State Department said its highest priority was preventing the virus from reaching American shores.

The World Health Organization declared a global health emergency over the Ebola outbreak in May, while Congolese authorities have reported nearly 600 confirmed cases.

Vandenbroucke also criticized the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing Washington of weakening the international response to the crisis.

According to Vandenbroucke, reductions in U.S. development and medical aid could ultimately contribute to millions of deaths in coming years.

“The United States 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 has denied that reductions in aid have affected the detection of, or response to, the current Ebola outbreak.

MISSIONARY RECOVERS

The debate comes as American medical missionary Dr. Peter Stafford and his family have been released from hospital isolation in Germany more than two weeks after Stafford contracted the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola while serving as a surgeon in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Stafford had been working with Serge, an international Christian missions organization, when he tested positive for Ebola amid a growing outbreak in eastern Congo. He was evacuated to Berlin’s Charité University Hospital, where he received antiviral treatment and supportive care in a specialized isolation ward.

German health authorities lifted Stafford’s isolation order after he went 72 hours without symptoms or a positive Ebola test.

His wife, Dr. Rebekah Stafford, and four other family members were also released after completing a 21-day quarantine following their last high-risk exposure.

None of them developed symptoms or tested positive for the virus.

RARE EBOLA STRAIN

The current outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Health authorities say earlier outbreaks involving this strain killed about 25 to 50 percent of those infected.

While less deadly than some other forms of Ebola, it remains a serious and potentially fatal disease.

Officials say rapid diagnosis, isolation, and treatment are key to preventing further infections and reducing deaths.

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