As EBOLA still looks like a threat ,The Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) national football team will be required to undergo a 21-day isolation period in Belgium before being allowed entry into the United States for the FIFA World Cup, following an Ebola outbreak in the country.
DR Congo is currently training in Belgium after its planned pre-tournament camp in Kinshasa was cancelled due to the health situation in the country.
Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House task force overseeing World Cup matters, said the players must remain in a controlled “bubble” environment until they are cleared to travel.
“They must continue staying in that bubble, otherwise they may not be allowed to travel to the United States,” Giuliani said.
The decision follows a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directive banning non-U.S. citizens who have been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days from entering the country.
However, DR Congo players based abroad will not be directly affected after the Kinshasa camp was cancelled.
Giuliani warned that any additional individuals joining the squad must also be placed in a separate bubble to prevent any risk of infection.
“If anyone is found to show symptoms of the disease, it could put the entire squad’s participation in the World Cup at risk,” he said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently raised the Ebola outbreak risk level in DR Congo from “high” to “very high”.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the risk of regional spread in East and Central Africa remains significant, although the global risk level remains low.
DR Congo is scheduled to play friendly matches against Denmark on June 3 in Belgium and Chile on June 9 in Spain before starting its World Cup campaign.
The tournament will run from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, with DR Congo expected to open its campaign against Portugal on June 17.
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