Morocco-US travellers must declare stays in DR Congo
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bladi
From 5.59am Moroccan time on 4 November, travellers boarding in Morocco for the United States will have to attest that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the previous 21 days. Airlines must deny boarding without a declaration, under a US order published on 30 October, Bladi reports.
From 5.59am Moroccan time on 4 November, passengers boarding flights to the United States will have to attest that they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) during the previous 21 days. Airlines will have to deny them boarding if they do not provide the declaration, under a US order published on 30 October and reported by Bladi.
The measure applies to all travellers, including US citizens, children and passengers transiting through a US airport. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allow a paper or electronic declaration, or a tick box during check-in, provided the passenger’s identity can be verified. A parent or authorised representative may sign for a child under 18.
Travellers who have been in DR Congo, even just transiting through a Congolese airport, will have to wait until the 22nd day after leaving the country before they can board, unless they have an official exemption. The rule is in response to the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and is based on a 21-day period corresponding to the virus’s maximum incubation period, according to Bladi.
