Saudi Arabia bans citizens from travelling to three African countries over Ebola outbreak

Dubai: Saudi Arabia has suspended travel by its citizens to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, and halted the issuance of visas and entry for travellers arriving from the three countries as part of precautionary measures against the spread of the Ebola virus.

The measures also apply to travellers arriving through third countries if they have stayed in any of the three affected countries during the 21 days before entering the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) said on Thursday.

The Public Health Authority (Weqaya) said Saudi Arabia's health surveillance and epidemic response system was operating continuously in coordination with domestic and international authorities to protect public health and help prevent the cross-border spread of infectious diseases.

Saudi Arabia has also stepped-up precautionary measures for travellers arriving from neighbouring countries affected by the outbreak, including Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and the Republic of Congo, by enhancing health screening at entry points, disease surveillance and early response procedures.

Weqaya said the overall public health situation in the kingdom remained stable and that no confirmed or suspected Ebola cases had been recorded since the preventive measures were introduced.

The authority said it would continue monitoring regional and international epidemiological developments around the clock and update its recommendations as the outbreak evolves, while maintaining all necessary health measures to strengthen preparedness and safeguard public health.