<div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-0"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">Citing the threat of <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/world/africa/what-to-know-ebola-africa.html" title="">the outbreak of the Ebola virus,</a> the Trump administration invoked an emergency public health rule on Monday to seal American borders to those who have recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/media/pdfs/2026/05/2026-05-18-Title-42-Order.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">invoked the public health law</a>, known as Title 42, to block entry into the United States by those who had been in the three African nations in the last 21 days. The restriction does not apply to American citizens or U.S. service members.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">The use of the public health law comes after the World Health Organization declared that the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda amounted to a <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/17/world/africa/ebola-congo-uganda-who-public-health-emergency.html" title="">global health emergency</a>.</p><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">“This order is necessary to protect the health of the United States from the serious risk posed by the introduction of Ebola disease into the United States,” said the order published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p></div><aside aria-label="companion column" class="css-ew4tgv"></aside></div><div data-testid="Dropzone-1"></div><div class="css-s99gbd StoryBodyCompanionColumn" data-testid="companionColumn-1"><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">The use of Title 42 would mark the return of <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/us/politics/trump-border-coronavirus.html" title="">a public health authority</a> that Mr. Trump in his first term — and <a class="css-yywogo" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/us/politics/biden-border-crisis-immigration.html" title="">subsequently President Joseph R. Biden Jr.</a> — used as a means to cut off migration to the United States after the coronavirus began spreading in the country.</p><div class="css-9tf9ac" data-testid="region" id="NYT_MAIN_CONTENT_1_REGION"></div><p class="css-ac37hb evys1bk0">The order is in effect for 30 days. 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