DR Congo national football team players have been instructed to isolate for 21 days in Belgium before they are allowed to travel to the United States for the FIFA World Cup.
The decision comes after the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo led to strict travel restrictions by US authorities ahead of the tournament.
The DR Congo squad had originally planned to hold a training camp in Kinshasa, but those plans were cancelled due to health concerns. The team are now preparing in Belgium inside a controlled bio-secure bubble.
US Authorities Issue Strict Warning
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed the players must remain isolated if they want clearance to enter the United States.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), non-American citizens who have recently been in DR Congo, Uganda or South Sudan are banned from entering the country for 21 days.
Giuliani warned that any breach of the isolation rules or any symptomatic case within the group could put the entire squad’s participation in danger.
WHO Raises Ebola Risk Level
The World Health Organization recently upgraded the public health risk from the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo from “high” to “very high”.
WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the regional risk across Africa remains high, although the global threat level is still considered low.
All DR Congo players selected for the World Cup are based outside the country, meaning they are not directly impacted by the travel restrictions after the cancellation of the Kinshasa camp.
DR Congo Prepare For World Cup Challenge
DR Congo are scheduled to face Denmark national football team in Belgium on 3 June and Chile national football team in Spain on 9 June as part of their preparations.
The African nation have been drawn in Group K alongside Portugal national football team, Colombia national football team and Uzbekistan national football team.
DR Congo will begin their World Cup campaign against Portugal on 17 June.
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