WHO calls for travel restrictions on Ebola-affected countries to be lifted, days after Canada's comes in effect

Canada's public health agency is temporarily blocking visitors from some countries in an attempt to curb the Ebola outbreak.

TORONTO — The World Health Organization is calling on countries to remove any travel restrictions recently imposed on people coming from Ebola-affected countries.

The request comes days after Canada stopped approving visas for Congolese nationals as part of what the federal government said was a temporary measure to reduce the risk of the virus entering and spreading within the country.

• Read more: Congolese Montrealers have plans upended by Canada’s Ebola travel restrictions

Canadian officials also initiated a mandatory self-isolation period of 21 days for anyone entering the country who has recently been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.

In response to the health organization’s plea, a spokesperson for the immigration minister said that the safety and well-being of Canadians is the top priority and the current approach will be adapted if needed.

The federal health minister also suggested the government was not backing down, saying the measures will help protect the health of people in Canada, “and the strength and stability of Canada’s health-care system.”

An outbreak of Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola that has no licensed vaccine or treatment, has meanwhile ballooned in the DRC, and spread to neighbouring Uganda.

• Read more: New travel and immigration measures in place to prevent Ebola cases from spreading to Canada

Canada, the United States and Mexico last week announced aligned public health measures ahead of the FIFA World Cup, acknowledging the risk of Ebola in their own countries remains low, and that these steps are out of an abundance of caution.

As part of the measures, the government is pausing immigration and travel applications for people from Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and South Sudan for 90 days, though that could be extended or lifted based on how the outbreak evolves.

WHO has warned that closing borders or restricting travel and trade are usually implemented out of fear and “have no basis in science.”

“Blanket travel restrictions imposed by some countries are disrupting supply chains and hindering the response,” WHO’s director-general said at a media briefing in Geneva Wednesday.

“We ask countries that have imposed blanket travel restrictions to lift them.”

This week, WHO scaled back its suspected case count to 116 from more than 1,000, as they work through the backlog and rule out people who had other diseases.

There have been more than 340 confirmed cases in the DRC, including 60 deaths.

Uganda has 15 confirmed cases including one death, its health ministry said Tuesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2026

Hannah Alberga, The Canadian Press

With files from Nicole Ireland