The US banned non-Americans who visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days from entering the country due to a deadly Ebola outbreak. A senior Department of State official said the US would ensure the DRC football team could enter for the World Cup by making an exemption to the ban. The team had been training in Europe, so it might not have been subject to the restriction, but if it had been in the DRC during the 21-day window, it would face strict screening. The exemption would use the same testing in isolation protocol applied to returning American citizens and permanent residents. The exemption would not cover everyday fans from the DRC. The DRC campaign begins in Texas against Portugal on June 17.
"The US has banned non-Americans who have visited DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the last 21 days from entry. The United States will ensure that the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) football team can enter the country to play in the World Cup, making an exemption to an Ebola-related entry ban, according to a senior Department of State official."
"We expect the DRC team to be able to attend the World Cup, the official said on condition of anonymity. The official said the DRC team, the only one among the three countries to have qualified for football's premier event, had already been training in Europe, so they may not have been subject to the ban in any case."
"But if they had, in fact, been in the DRC over the last 21 days, they would be subject to the sort of strict screening required for returning US citizens. We're working to get them into the same protocol for testing in isolation that American citizens returning and permanent residents would be, the official said."
"The official said the exemption would not apply to everyday fans from the DRC looking to come to cheer on the team. The DRC begin their World Cup campaign in Texas against Portugal on June 17."
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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