The United States has placed its own citizens currently in or recently departed from the Democratic Republic of Congo on a flight ban list, preventing them from returning home on commercial flights until they spend at least 21 days in a third country.
The measure, announced on Monday, affects roughly 20 Americans who had been scheduled to fly back on Tuesday. Affected travelers must now complete a three-week waiting period outside Congo before being cleared for entry.
The restrictions respond to an Ebola outbreak that has infected nearly 2,000 people and killed 700 in the DR Congo. The outbreak, ongoing since May, has now spread to five of the country's 25 provinces.