- Three major Mexican airlines have placed immediate travel restrictions on individuals arriving from Ebola-affected Central African countries. The proactive emergency measures will remain in effect for the next 60 days.
- Air travel into Mexico is completely blocked for any passenger who has stayed in Uganda, South Sudan, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the last 21 days.
- The strict health measures arrive less than two weeks before Mexico co-hosts the World Cup. The Democratic Republic of the Congo team has qualified for the tournament and is scheduled to play opening group matches inside Mexican borders.
Three prominent Mexican airlines announced immediate travel restrictions on Friday targeting travelers from Central African countries.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the drastic measures respond directly to a highly dangerous Ebola outbreak actively spreading across the region.
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The restrictions are deployed as Mexico prepares to welcome millions of international football fans and global athletes for the upcoming World Cup, which kicks off in less than two weeks.
Aeromexico, the country’s largest aviation carrier, confirmed the policy via social media.
The airline stated that air entry into Mexican territory is temporarily restricted for any traveler who has stayed in Uganda, South Sudan, or the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) within the preceding 21 days. Low-cost international carriers Viva and Volaris announced matching operational restrictions.
The joint travel bans are legally scheduled to remain active for a 60-day window to protect domestic health security.
The policy adds a significant layer of logistical complexity to the global football tournament.
The DRC national team successfully qualified for the World Cup and is slated to play its first-round matches across both the United States and Mexico.
Mexico is co-hosting the massive sporting event alongside Canada and the United States, with the opening match booked for June 11 in Mexico City between Mexico and South Africa. Currently, the Congolese squad has been training safely in Belgium and designs to set up its tournament base camp in Houston, Texas.
The World Health Organization has recorded 17 confirmed and 223 suspected Ebola deaths in the DRC since May 15. The health crisis stems from 125 confirmed cases and over 900 suspected infections.
Global health agencies remain highly concerned as there is currently no approved vaccine or medical treatment for the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola driving the current outbreak.
