- Saudi Arabia's Public Health Authority announced an entry ban on travelers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan
- Authorities also suspended all entry visas for people who stayed in the three countries within 21 days before arriving in Saudi Arabia
- France confirmed its first Ebola case after a doctor who worked in the DRC returned home and was admitted to a quarantine facility
Saudi Arabia has barred entry to travellers coming from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Uganda, and South Sudan following a rise in Ebola cases across parts of Africa.
The Kingdom's Public Health Authority, known as Weqaya, announced the restriction on Thursday as a precautionary health measure, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
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The ban has no stated end date and will remain in place until further notice.
Beyond direct arrivals, the suspension also covers all categories of entry visas for individuals who have spent time in any of the three countries within 21 days of their planned arrival in Saudi Arabia, even if they later passed through a third country before heading to the Kingdom.
Enhanced screening for 4 other countries
According to Arab News, Weqaya also announced stricter health checks for travellers arriving from Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Congo-Brazzaville.
Anyone entering Saudi Arabia from these four countries will undergo health screenings at border points, alongside disease surveillance procedures. These countries have also been affected by Ebola, though they were not placed under an outright travel ban.
The authority confirmed that no Ebola cases have been recorded in Saudi Arabia since 2019.
Ebola's history and global concern
Ebola was first identified in 1976 in the DRC. According to the World Health Organisation, the virus kills around 50 per cent of those it infects and has claimed about 15,000 lives since its discovery.
Concern over the outbreak has spread beyond Africa. On Wednesday, French health authorities confirmed the country's first Ebola case after a doctor who had been on a humanitarian mission in the DRC tested positive for the virus upon returning to France.
He was subsequently moved to a specialist quarantine facility for treatment.
4 requirements for working in Saudi military
Legit.ng earlier reported that foreign nationals can work as private military or defence contractors in Saudi Arabia. Getting there requires meeting a specific set of conditions, targeting the right employers, and following a legal deployment process regulated by both international firms and the Saudi government.
Source: Legit.ng
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