Bahrain said on Tuesday it was suspending the entry of foreign travellers arriving from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda due to the Ebola virus outbreak.
The suspension will be effective for 30 days starting Tuesday, according to the country's state news agency.
It applies to passengers arriving directly from the three countries, as well as those who have been there within 30 days prior to their arrival in Bahrain. Bahraini citizens arriving from those countries will be subject to approved health protocols upon entry.
Bahraini authorities said the decision was taken following the World Health Organisation's announcement regarding the Ebola outbreak and the evolving epidemiological situation in the three countries.
WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the virus a public health emergency of international concern on Saturday, the first time a secretary general has done so before convening an emergency committee.
The Bahraini Civil Aviation Affairs authority said entry procedures through Bahrain International Airport had been updated for passengers arriving from the affected countries. It stressed the importance of adhering to all instructions issued by authorities.
It added that the suspension will remain in effect for 30 days from Tuesday and will be subject to continuous review, with the list of affected countries to be updated in line with developments related to the spread of the Ebola virus.
Twenty-six more suspected Ebola deaths were recorded in 24 hours in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Tuesday. The new deaths brought to 131 the fatalities associated with the outbreak in eastern DRC.
There have been 516 suspected cases and 33 confirmed cases in DRC, according to a daily bulletin published by health authorities, and two confirmed cases in neighbouring Uganda.
