The Democratic Republic of Congo’s national football team must isolate for 21 days or risk the ability to enter the United States for the World Cup, as the country deals with a serious outbreak of Ebola.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, communicated this requirement to ESPN on Friday, saying U.S. officials have informed FIFA, the Congolese national team, and the government in Kinshasa that the squad must maintain a strict bubble in Belgium, where players are currently training.
“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani told ESPN.
Last week, Congo confirmed an outbreak of a rare type of Ebola known as Bundibugyo, which is thought to have killed more than 130 people and caused nearly 600 suspected cases.
The World Health Organization declared it a public health emergency of international concern, and the CDC announced that the U.S. would ban entry of all foreign nationals who had been in Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan within the past three weeks.
The outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments.
U.S. officials confirmed that the Congolese squad would be exempt from the broader travel ban, provided they maintain the required isolation bubble.
“We encourage the team to protect their players from unneeded exposure and maintain the integrity of their bubble, to ensure that they are able to participate in the tournament,” Giuliani said.
DR Congo are placed in Group K for this year’s World Cup, with their first game against Portugal on June 17 in Houston, followed by matches against Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and against Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta.
