US urges Europe to step up travel measures against Ebola

Key Points:

• The Trump administration is urging European nations to strengthen travel restrictions from Ebola-affected African countries, warning that failure to act could lead to increased U.S. travel regulations on Europe, including during the World Cup soccer tournament.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio communicated these concerns to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, emphasizing the need for coordinated U.S.-European efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
• The U.S. has banned travelers from affected countries entering the U.S. within three weeks of travel and implemented quarantine measures for returning American citizens, while contributing over $200 million to combat the outbreak.
• Despite relatively few direct flights between Africa and the U.S., there are more than 300 daily direct flights between Europe and the U.S., raising concerns about trans-Atlantic travel risks if Europe does not impose stricter measures.
• The European Union has increased its Ebola response funding by 16.5 million euros, adding to a prior contribution of 15 million euros, but has not yet publicly responded to Rubio’s call.