CDC issues second 30-day Ebola entry order: US green card holders face bar on return from East Africa

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new 30-day public health entry order on June 21, 2026, continuing the restriction it first put in place on May 18 in response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The order temporarily prohibits non-US citizens — including US lawful permanent residents holding green cards — from entering the United States if they have been in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan at any point in the 21 days before their attempted entry. US citizens and nationals are not subject to the entry bar but face mandatory enhanced health screening at arrival. All air passengers from the three affected countries are re-routed to one of four designated US airports: Washington-Dulles (IAD), Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL), Houston Bush Intercontinental (IAH), or John F. Kennedy (JFK). The order is in effect for 30 days from June 21, running through approximately July 21, 2026.

Background

The current Ebola outbreak — caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a rarer type for which no approved vaccine exists — was first identified in the DRC's Ituri province in late April 2026. As of June 22, the DRC has confirmed more than 1,000 cases and 254 deaths, making this the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record and the fastest-growing in case volume at this stage. Uganda confirmed its first case on May 15, 2026 — an imported case from DRC — and South Sudan is included in the restriction zone because of its shared land border with both affected areas, even though no cases have been confirmed there as of this writing. The World Health Organization declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) on May 17, 2026. The CDC issued its first Title 42 public health entry order for these three countries on May 18, updated it on May 22 to explicitly include US lawful permanent residents (the initial order had been read ambiguously on that point), and renewed it with the June 21 order. The Bundibugyo strain is distinct from the Zaire strain for which Ervebo and the Mvabea/Zabdeno vaccine regimen were developed; neither vaccine has established cross-protection against Bundibugyo, which complicates the public health response significantly.

What the order means for US green card holders

The practical consequence of the June 21 order is that a US lawful permanent resident (LPR) who has been physically present in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan at any point in the 21 days before trying to enter the US is temporarily barred from entering. This is the same rule that has been in place since May 18, now renewed for another 30 days. The CDC has been clear that the order "does not permanently bar lawful permanent residents from returning to the United States" — it is a temporary measure tied to the public health emergency. However, while the order is in force, an LPR in that situation has no automatic right of return and would need to wait the relevant days outside the affected countries before their entry is permitted. The order draws its legal basis from Title 42 of the US Public Health Service Act, which gives the CDC authority to suspend entry of persons from designated areas when necessary to avert the introduction of a communicable disease.

International context

The US is not acting alone. As of June 22, at least thirteen other countries have introduced formal entry bans, document suspensions, or mandatory quarantine requirements affecting travelers from the same three countries. Canada suspended the validity of temporary resident visas, electronic travel authorizations, and permanent resident visas for residents of DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan starting May 27 for a 90-day period. The UAE suspended visa issuance for nationals of those three countries effective June 6. Kuwait, Lebanon, Bahrain, Jordan, Rwanda, Taiwan, Curaçao, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, and Uganda itself have each introduced some form of restriction — ranging from full entry bans to mandatory 21-day quarantine on arrival — for travelers with recent presence in the affected countries. Thailand is routing all DRC and Uganda arrivals through Bangkok and requiring up to 21 days of monitoring. The picture is fluid and changes week by week as countries respond to updated case counts and WHO guidance.

What this means in practice

If you hold a US green card and have any travel to or through the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan planned or recently completed, this order affects you directly. If you left the US to travel to any of those three countries and are now trying to return, you cannot do so under the current order until 21 days have passed since your last day of presence in the affected area — and you will need to spend those 21 days outside the affected countries, not in transit through them. Airlines should be proactively rebooking itineraries that route through or originate from those airports; if yours has not been contacted, the CDC recommends proactive communication with the airline. For anyone considering travel to East or Central Africa for humanitarian, research, or personal reasons: the entry bar applies on return regardless of the nature of the trip. The CDC's travel health notice for the DRC is at Level 4 (Avoid All Travel), and Uganda is at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel). If you are an LPR who must travel to these regions for unavoidable reasons, consult an immigration attorney before departure about the legal implications for your re-entry rights during the order's effective period.