A NEW set of rules is coming into play from tomorrow for anyone heading to the States.
It comes as the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record.
Brits travelling to or through the States will have to sign a waiver to confirm they have not recently been to the Congo as a form of prevention.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said anyone ‘willfully providing false or misleading information may lead to criminal fines and imprisonment’.
Brits need to either physically or digitally sign a statement stating that they have not been in the Congo within 21 days of flying into the US.
Taking a connecting flight through an airport in the Congo still counts as being present in the country.
This is the case even for those who don’t leave the airport or even the plane during this time.
The order only applies to air travel, not land or sea travel.
The waiver can be completed by printing and signing the PDF from the CDC and handing it to the airline at check in.
Some airlines may have the declaration electronically for those who check in online.
For example, Delta said that passengers may complete the form upon check in via the app.
The rules look to vary airline to airline, so it’s advised to check the individual website and contact them for clarification if necessary.
As of October 27, the CDC said there havebeen moree than 10,200 Ebola cases in the Congo and nearly 5,000 deaths.
According to local news, there are currently no reports of an outbreak in the US.
It also adds that the chance of it spreading to the US is low, but that prevention is still necessary.
The new waiver rules will come into play from November 3 – there are more details on the CDC website.
