US quarantines citizens at New York military base after return from Congo amid Ebola concerns

Fourteen American citizens were quarantined for four days at a U.S. military base in New York after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials said. The precautionary measure was taken because of an ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo, although the travelers showed no symptoms and were assessed as not at risk of transmitting the virus.

The travelers had returned to North America via Canada and were taken to the military base rather than entering the United States directly from Congo, officials said. U.S. health authorities coordinated the quarantine with the Department of Defense, which issued at least two internal notifications regarding the operation.

The group of 14 American citizens was quarantined for four days at a U.S. military base in New York State after returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an Ebola outbreak is ongoing, according to Defense Department notifications reviewed by Reuters.

Officials emphasized that none of the travelers showed symptoms of Ebola, and they were assessed as not at risk of transmitting the virus at the time of quarantine, according to the Defense Department memo circulated to lawmakers. The memo stated there was “no danger to the public or base personnel,” framing the quarantine as a precautionary measure to contain any potential risk. Records and sources confirmed that none of the 14 developed symptoms during their four-day stay at the base.

The quarantine followed enhanced federal measures aimed at preventing the introduction of Ebola into the United States from affected regions. A “do-not-board” order issued in July requires U.S. citizens in Congo to quarantine for at least 21 days before they can return to the U.S. via commercial flights, according to multiple reports. However, current policies do not impose a blanket ban on returning citizens entering the U.S. through land crossings such as from Canada, which was the route taken by this group, sources said.

The Defense Department notifications made clear that the travelers could not return directly from Congo to the United States, reflecting tightened controls on direct inbound travel from Ebola-affected regions. These measures are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to “keep out individuals it deems at risk of Ebola,” even when those individuals are U.S. citizens, according to official communications reviewed by Reuters. The policies require medical clearance and completion of quarantine before travelers from Ebola zones are permitted to enter the country by commercial air.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been experiencing an Ebola outbreak that has persisted over time, prompting heightened international monitoring and travel precautions, officials said. Public health experts note that Ebola has an incubation period of up to 21 days, which underpins the quarantine protocols and the 21-day requirement for travelers returning from affected areas. The U.S. quarantine of the 14 travelers was a preventive measure aligned with these incubation-period-based protocols, rather than a response to confirmed infection.

Legal and civil liberties concerns have been raised regarding the restrictions placed on American citizens returning from the Congo. Some legal analysts and public health experts have expressed unease about policies that appear to deny or delay entry to U.S. citizens, even when they are asymptomatic. Critics argue that such measures may conflict with constitutional protections and established norms regarding the right of citizens to re-enter their own country, according to legal commentaries published in recent months.

The current federal quarantine and travel restrictions draw on precedents set during the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. At that time, Connecticut’s governor authorized a mandatory 21-day quarantine for anyone with direct contact with Ebola patients, even if asymptomatic. Similarly, the governors of New York and New Jersey imposed mandatory 21-day quarantines on certain air travelers returning from West Africa who had contact with Ebola patients. New York later modified its policy to allow home quarantine with twice-daily health checks and some compensation for lost wages, reflecting efforts to balance public health control with civil liberties.

The quarantine of the 14 Americans at the New York military base fits into a broader trajectory of increasingly formalized Ebola travel screening and quarantine protocols in the United States since 2014. The Department of Defense and U.S. health officials continue to monitor travelers from Ebola-affected regions closely as part of ongoing efforts to prevent the virus from reaching American communities, according to officials involved in the operation.