Uganda imposes 21-day quarantine on citizens returning from DR Congo

Uganda has imposed a mandatory 21-day quarantine on citizens returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) as authorities strengthen measures to prevent the further spread of Ebola following confirmed cases in Kenya and Nigeria.

Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi announced the restrictions on Sunday, October 25, saying the government had intensified screening at Entebbe International Airport and land border crossings.

Returning Ugandans with a history of travel to DR Congo will be required to undergo quarantine at their own expense.

The government has also tightened entry restrictions for non-essential travellers from DR Congo, while requiring incoming passengers to complete forms providing their contact details to facilitate monitoring and contact tracing.

The measures are intended to reduce the risk of imported infections from the neighbouring country, which continues to experience a major outbreak.

The heightened vigilance follows the confirmation of Ebola cases in Kenya and Nigeria involving people who travelled through Uganda, raising questions about possible exposure during their journeys.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Kenya confirmed its first imported case on October 6 involving a man who had travelled from DR Congo through Uganda before arriving in Nairobi on October 3.

The patient died on October 5. By October 20, Kenya had recorded nine confirmed cases, including one death, with eight additional infections linked to the initial patient.

Nigeria also confirmed an Ebola case on October 20 involving a woman who had travelled from Uganda to Abuja.

Investigations are continuing to establish how she contracted the virus.

Although Swiss authorities have suggested that she was infected in Uganda, Ugandan officials have challenged that conclusion, pointing to possible exposure through relatives who had previously visited DR Congo.

No definitive source of infection has been established.

Ugandan authorities have been investigating the possibility that the initial patients in Kenya and Nigeria crossed paths at Entebbe airport on October 3.

However, officials have said security footage showed no physical interaction between the two travellers, and investigators have not established a direct link between the cases.

Despite the renewed restrictions, Uganda maintains that it is Ebola-free.

The country declared its previous outbreak over on July 28, after recording 20 confirmed infections and two deaths, according to its Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the situation in DR Congo remains critical.

The WHO reported 9,704 confirmed cases and 4,687 deaths as of October 20, with infections recorded across eight provinces.

The outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a strain for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment.

WHO has urged countries to strengthen cross-border surveillance, early detection and coordinated preparedness while advising against general restrictions on travel or trade with affected countries.