Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya downplayed public fears about a widening Ebola outbreak as the U.S. prepares to host World Cup matches, noting he personally met the Congolese team who have been training in Belgium. He defended temporary travel restrictions on noncitizens from certain African nations as a measure that sharply reduces the risk of importing Ebola. Bhattacharya also emphasized U.S. support for containment efforts while acknowledging critics who say earlier aid cuts and a reduced global health role could worsen the outbreak.
Acting CDC Director Defends Ebola Travel Restrictions As U.S. Hosts World Cup Matches
Acting CDC Director Jay Bhattacharya sought to calm public concern over a widening Ebola outbreak as the United States prepares to host several World Cup matches. He personally met members of the Congolese national team — who, he noted, have been training in Belgium — and emphasized the U.S. response to reduce the risk of importation.
Temporary travel restrictions on noncitizens arriving from certain African nations, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, remain in place. Bhattacharya defended those measures as an effective way to lower the odds that an Ebola case would enter the country during a high-profile event such as the World Cup.
“People might think … everyone from the Congo is at risk,” he told Elizabeth Vargas Reports on Wednesday. “It’s not true. In fact, this team has been training in Belgium, I think, for the last month.”
“The travel ban reduces the probability of any inadvertent case of Ebola entering this country to very close to near zero. I mean, you can’t guarantee anything with 100% certainty,” Bhattacharya added. “Especially with the World Cup coming up, it’s very important that people feel that we are doing everything we can to reduce that risk.”
Bhattacharya also highlighted ongoing U.S. support for efforts to contain Ebola in affected regions of Africa. At the same time, he acknowledged critics who argue that earlier cuts to foreign aid and a reduced U.S. role on the global health stage under the Trump administration could hamper outbreak control and make the situation worse.
Bhattacharya, who previously led the National Institutes of Health, was appointed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February to replace Jim O’Neill.
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