Ebola Outbreak Forces DR Congo World Cup Squad Into 21-Day Isolation in Belgium
The United States has told DR Congo their entire World Cup delegation must complete a 21-day isolation bubble in Belgium or risk being denied entry, after an Ebola outbreak was confirmed in the central African country.
- Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed on Friday that the Congolese delegation must maintain a bubble in Belgium and isolate for 21 days before being permitted to travel to the United States.
- The World Health Organization has recorded 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths, alongside almost 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. The outbreak has been caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or treatments.
- DR Congo are in Group K and open their World Cup campaign against Portugal on June 17 in Houston, followed by matches against Colombia and Uzbekista
It is the kind of problem no football federation plans for. DR Congo spent months fighting their way to a first World Cup since 1974, only to arrive at the final weeks of preparation facing a crisis that has nothing to do with tactics, form or fitness. An Ebola outbreak back home has put their entire participation under threat, and Washington has made it clear the rules are not negotiable.
What the US has told DR Congo
The message from American authorities was delivered bluntly. DR Congo's squad must stay in a sealed bubble in Belgium, where they are currently based for training, and complete a full 21-day isolation period before they will be allowed to cross into the United States.Â
Giuliani told ESPN: "We've been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11. We've made it very clear to the Congo government as well that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the US. We cannot be any clearer."Â
The CDC has also announced that the US will ban entry of all foreign nationals who have been in Congo, Uganda and South Sudan within the past three weeks. That ban runs for 30 days.
What is happening with the Ebola outbreak
The strain at the centre of this outbreak is Bundibugyo Ebola, a rarer and particularly dangerous variant for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists. That detail is what makes the US position so firm.
The outbreak is thought to have killed more than 130 people and caused nearly 600 suspected cases, prompting the World Health Organization to declare it a public health emergency of international concern.Â
Earlier this week, DR Congo cancelled a three-day training camp and a planned farewell event for fans in the capital, Kinshasa, as a direct result of the situation. For a squad preparing for the biggest tournament of their careers, the disruption to routine is significant.Â
The isolation requirement is complicated slightly by the fact that most of the DR Congo squad do not live in Congo at all. The majority of the players and their French head coach Sebastien Desabre are based in Europe. The squad includes Aaron Wan-Bissaka of West Ham United and Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United in the Premier League, along with captain Chancel Mbemba, who plays for Lille in Ligue 1.Â