Uganda imposes 21-day paid quarantine on returnees from DR Congo

More than 4,800 people have died in the Democratic Republic of Congo since May, prompting Uganda to announce that citizens returning from the region must undergo a 21-day quarantine. The Health Ministry outlined the new protocol on Sunday, stating that returnees will bear the full cost of their isolation.

The government is restricting entry to essential travelers only. Those admitted will face what Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi described as intense public health measures. Baryomunsi told the BBC’s Newsday program that the goal is to ensure Uganda remains free of Ebola. He added that the country must remain vigilant because transmission continues in DR Congo, and the two nations share close ties through trade and family connections.

Travelers who have recently been in DR Congo are also barred from transiting through Uganda. The ministry reported that screening has been intensified at Entebbe International Airport and all land border crossings. Additional checks are now conducted at designated road checkpoints.

These stricter controls follow the detection of two positive cases in neighboring countries. A Kenyan businessman who had business interests in DR Congo tested positive in Nairobi. He died two days after his arrival. A second patient, the Ugandan-born wife of a Swiss diplomat, tested positive in Nigeria after traveling to Kampala for a holiday. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, confirmed the identities and travel histories of these two individuals.

Uganda has reported no new cases within its own borders. The country recorded 20 cases and two deaths early in the outbreak, but the World Health Organization declared it disease-free in August. Diana Atwine, the health ministry’s permanent secretary, said CCTV footage showed no physical interaction between the Kenyan and Nigerian patients while they were in Uganda. The ministry stated that all 60 people monitored for contact with the Kenyan patient have been discharged.

Ugandan officials initially said the woman in Nigeria only transited through Uganda after visiting eastern DR Congo. On Sunday, the ministry updated that it is working with Nigeria to establish her full travel history and possible routes of exposure. Kenya has since confirmed eight additional cases, and a relative of the initial Kenyan patient died over the weekend.

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is responsible for the current outbreak. The disease spreads through contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood or vomit. While vaccine trials are underway, there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment available for this rare species of the virus.

Uganda and DR Congo share a border that facilitates frequent movement of people and goods. The recent cases have raised questions about how the virus is moving between these closely linked communities despite previous containment efforts.