Three Mexican airlines have restricted passengers arriving from parts of Central Africa over the Ebola outbreak, less than two weeks before Mexico co-hosts the FIFA World Cup.
In separate statements on Friday, Aeromexico, Viva and Volaris said travellers who have been in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or South Sudan within the past 21 days would be barred from flights into Mexico. The low-cost carriers Viva and Volaris said their measures would run for 60 days.
The restrictions come as Mexico prepares to co-host the tournament with the United States and Canada. It opens on 11 June in Mexico City with Mexico against South Africa.
The DRC, where the outbreak is centred, has qualified and is due to play first-round matches in the United States and Mexico. The Congolese team has been training in Belgium and plans to base itself in Houston during the tournament.
Mexico’s move follows a joint statement by the three host nations on aligned health measures, including airport screenings, and a United States restriction on foreign travellers who have recently been in the affected countries.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the DRC outbreak has produced 125 confirmed and more than 900 suspected cases, with confirmed and suspected deaths together numbering in the hundreds. It is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, for which no approved vaccine or treatment exists.
