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An Air France formation from Paris to Detroit, Michigan, was forced to divert to Montreal, Canada, connected Wednesday owed to U.S. flight restrictions linked to the Ebola outbreak after it was determined that 1 of the passengers was from the Democratic Republic of Congo, national officials said.
Air France boarded the rider "in mistake connected a formation to the United States," a U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson told CBS News successful a statement.
"Due to introduction restrictions enactment successful spot to trim the hazard of the Ebola virus, the rider should not person boarded the plane," the CBP spokesperson said. "CBP took decisive enactment and prohibited the formation carrying that traveler from landing astatine Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada."
CBP did not accidental erstwhile the idiosyncratic had past been successful the Congo oregon whether they were showing symptoms of the virus. It wasn't instantly wide if the rider was a Congolese nationalist oregon had been traveling there.
When reached astir the incident, the Federal Aviation Administration directed CBS News to CBP.
CBS News has besides reached retired to Air France and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for comment.
According to the formation tracking website FlightAware, Air France Flight 378 from Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport landed astatine Montreal Trudeau International Airport astatine 5:15 p.m. ET. The presumption of the rider from the Congo was unknown. It was besides unclear whether the flight, with the remainder of the passengers, would proceed connected to Detroit.
On Monday, the CDC announced that radical without U.S. passports who had traveled to Congo, Uganda oregon South Sudan successful the past 3 weeks would beryllium restricted from entering the country.
Earlier Wednesday, the Department of Homeland Security, the genitor bureau of CBP, confirmed that opening Thursday, it would necessitate each U.S.-bound flights carrying overseas travelers who person been successful Congo, Uganda oregon South Sudan astatine immoderate constituent successful the erstwhile 21 days to alert into Washington-Dulles International Airport successful Virginia.
The rule, according to its language, is designed to funnel those travelers to an airdrome "where the U.S. authorities is focusing nationalist wellness resources to instrumentality enhanced nationalist wellness measures."
It's unclear however the DHS regularisation impacts the CDC's earlier order.
An Ebola outbreak centered successful eastbound Congo was confirmed May 15 by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday determination were astatine slightest 600 suspected Ebola cases truthful far, including 139 suspected deaths from the virus.
Health officials accidental the caller outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain, for which determination are nary approved vaccines oregon treatments, according to CBS News aesculapian analogous Dr. Céline Gounder.
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