Bamako, Mali (PANA) – The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have removed Mali from the list of Ebola-affected nations subject to enhanced visa and port-of-entry screening.
In an official announcement Tuesday, the US Government said travellers from Mali will no longer be required to undergo enhanced screening and monitoring when entering the United States, nor will they be required to enter the country through the five designated airports that perform this screening.
Also on January 6, CDC removed the Alert Level 2 Travel Notice for Mali, which advised travellers to practise enhanced precautions when visiting that nation.
“The United States will continue to support Mali’s Ebola prevention response and detection measures. Additionally, anyone travelling from Mali who arrived in the United States before January 6, 2015 must continue active monitoring and report any symptoms for 21 days after leaving Mali,” said the announcement.
January 6 marked two incubation cycles (21 days each) since the last patient in Mali had any contact with a person who was not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
The last Ebola patient in Mali tested negative on 5 December 2014, and there are currently no active cases, according to CDC.
Moreover, subsequent isolated cases of Ebola in Mali would not automatically require reinstitution of these measures, which are used only when there is a risk of widespread transmission.
The cases of Ebola in Bamako, the country’s capital, were related to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
CDC said that screening and monitoring measures remain in place for travellers entering the United States from those nations. Travel notices for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone remain at a Warning Level 3 and advise travellers to avoid nonessential travel to the three countries with Ebola outbreaks.
