Saudi Arabia imposes travel ban on three African countries, suspends visas over Ebola outbreak World News
Saudi Arabia has banned its citizens from traveling to three African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, and suspended the issuance of all visas to travelers from those countries as part of new measures to prevent the spread of Ebola. The restrictions announced by the Saudi Public Health Authority (Weqaya) also apply to travelers arriving via third countries, provided they have visited any of the three affected countries within the 21 days before entering the kingdom, the Saudi Gazette reported.Authorities said the measures were taken to reduce the risk of Ebola entering Saudi Arabia amid ongoing outbreaks in parts of Africa.Waikaya said the Kingdom’s health surveillance and response system continues to operate around the clock in coordination with national and international health agencies to monitor developments and protect public health.Saudi Arabia has stepped up health precautions for travelers arriving from neighboring countries including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). These include enhanced health screening at points of entry, enhanced surveillance and early response procedures.The public health situation in Saudi Arabia remains stable, authorities said, confirming that no suspected or confirmed Ebola cases have been recorded in the country since preventive measures were introduced.Vecaya added that the restrictions are routine precautionary measures designed to protect citizens, residents and visitors while helping to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
