The Trump administration announced Thursday that U.S. citizens and green‑card holders who have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days must land at Washington’s Dulles International Airport. The directive, issued by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, targets travelers amid a surge in Ebola cases across the three nations and aims to contain any importation risk.

The Department of Homeland Security ordered all flights carrying the affected travelers to be rerouted to Dulles after 11:59 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday. At the airport, officials will work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct health screenings, though DHS has not disclosed the specific “enhanced public health measures.” Dulles handles the highest volume of passengers from the three countries.

Airlines with routes to Central Africa face schedule disruptions and potential revenue loss as flights are forced to divert to Dulles. Travel‑related businesses in Virginia anticipate a short‑term surge in demand for airport services, while insurers monitor exposure to outbreak‑related claims. The policy underscores Washington’s willingness to deploy immigration tools to protect public health for the next few weeks.