Members of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) national football team must isolate for 21 days or risk being barred from entering the United States for the World Cup, said Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup.

Giuliani said the United States told FIFA, the Congolese national team, and the Congolese government that the team must maintain a bubble in Belgium, where it is currently training and scheduled to play two warm-up games.

DRC is scheduled to play Portugal on June 17 in Houston, Texas.

It will also play Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The team’s other group game will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico.

ADVERTISEMENT

ESPN shared further:

Giuliani said that the U.S. is taking the health and safety of the World Cup extremely seriously.

“We want to make sure that there is nothing that’s going to come in or near our borders here on this,” he said.

All of the Congo players and the team’s French coach, Sébastien Desabre, are based outside of the central African country, with most of them playing in France. Some team staff based in Congo left the country this week.

“If there are other people that are going to be coming in, they need to have a separate bubble from that team. If they end up coming, and any of those people end up symptomatic, they are risking the entire team being able to come and compete in this World Cup,” Giuliani said.

Giuliani added that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has staff in Europe monitoring two American doctors who are in quarantine after being exposed to Ebola, and they have been discussing whether to send staff to Belgium to “check in on the team.”

“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11th,” Giuliani said, according to the outlet.

“We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well, that they need to maintain that bubble or they risk not being able to travel to the United States. We cannot be any clearer,” he continued.

On Monday, the CDC announced an entry ban on foreign travelers who have been in the African countries impacted by the outbreak – DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan.

CDC Announces Travel Restrictions For African Countries Impacted By Ebola Outbreak

“This suspension Order applies to covered aliens who have departed from, or were otherwise present within, DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan during the last 21 days (regardless of their country of origin). This Order is based on an assessment of the most recently available data and current conditions regarding the Ebola disease outbreak,” a CDC order read.

ADVERTISEMENT

“This order is time-limited and shall be in effect for 30 days from the date of issuance. This Order is intended to address the serious risk of introduction of Ebola disease into the United States, while allowing the U.S. Government the time necessary to conduct a full assessment of the unique public health risks posed by Ebola disease, assist with implementing surveillance, diagnostic capabilities and contact tracing, and develop a comprehensive mitigation and containment strategy in consultation with other stakeholders,” it continued.

BBC has more:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called the outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern", but said it was not at pandemic level.

A spokesperson for DR Congo's football team told reporters that the training camp, part of the preparations for the team's first World Cup since 1974, would now take place in Belgium.

Jerry Kalemo added that DR Congo's pre-tournament games in Europe would go ahead as planned.

The Leopards are due to play friendly matches against Denmark, on 3 June in Belgium, and Chile, on 9 June in Spain, ahead of the World Cup finals.

 

Join The Conversation. Leave a Comment.