The department spokesperson said that the first priority is the protection of Americans and the homeland, but that the U.S. is providing preventative resources to the affected countries.
The U.S. State Department announced that it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the federal government’s response to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, “The Department’s first priority is the protection of Americans and the American homeland. The Department is working with interagency partners to evacuate, for medical treatment and/or quarantine and procedures, any affected American citizens. The Department is also working across our consular and travel operations to implement CDC’s Title 42 order restricting entry of foreign nationals, of any nationality, who have been to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan in the last 21 days.”
He continued, “The Department has issued updated Level 4 travel advisories for all three countries: no American citizens or permanent residents should travel to the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan for any reason. Americans should remain vigilant of CDC guidelines on isolation and quarantine if they are departing the region.”
“The United States is providing crucial preventative resources to affected countries including assistance with health screenings at borders and points of entry and has shipped initial tranches of emergency personal protection equipment (PPE) from available stockpiles,” Spokesperson Pigott added. “The Department of State is working closely with host governments across the region to identify urgent needs and align response efforts. The United States is also engaging international partners and U.S. companies operating in affected areas to strengthen logistics, supply chains, and operational support for the response.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For U.S. State Department officials as they coordinate the response to the outbreak.
- For Acting Director Bhattacharya as he oversees the CDC and its tracking of Americans who may have been exposed to Ebola.
- For CDC personnel as they seek to protect the U.S. public from virus transmission.
Sources: Department of State
