Passenger from Congo boards flight ‘in error’, prompting diversion to Canada amid Ebola outbreak

An Air France flight headed to Detroit, Michigan, was redirected to Canada on Wednesday after it was determined that a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) had boarded “in error” amid new Ebola -related travel restrictions, officials with the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) said. “Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane,” a CBP spokesperson said in a statement. “CBP took decisive action and prohibited the flight carrying that traveler from landing at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne county airport, and instead, diverted to Montreal, Canada.” The spokesperson added that CBP, in coordination with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “is taking the necessary measures to protect public health and reduce the risk of Ebola disease introduction into the United States”. On Monday, the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented temporary measures aimed at preventing the Ebola disease from entering the US amid ongoing outbreaks in east and central Africa. The measures include enhanced travel screening, entry restrictions and additional public health protocols. Among the new rules are entry restrictions for non-US passport holders who have been in “Uganda, DRC or South Sudan in the previous 21 days”. The order is in effect for 30 days, according to the announcement. …