Uganda confirms three new Ebola cases, bringing total to five

Published 23 May, 2026 02:49pm 2 min read
Workers stand guard at the gate of the Kibuli Muslim Hospital where a Congolese man died of Ebola Bundibugyo virus in Kibuli suburb of Kampala, Uganda. -- Reuters
Workers stand guard at the gate of the Kibuli Muslim Hospital where a Congolese man died of Ebola Bundibugyo virus in Kibuli suburb of Kampala, Uganda. -- Reuters

Uganda said on Saturday that ​three new Ebola ‌cases had been confirmed there, taking ​the total ​of confirmed cases to ⁠five.

The new cases ​include a Ugandan ​driver who transported the country’s first confirmed ​case as well ​as a health worker ‌who ⁠was exposed to the virus while taking care of ​the ​same ⁠person, the Health Ministry ​said in a ​statement.

A ⁠Congolese woman was the third ⁠new ​case.

US bans entry

The United States on Friday temporarily banned the entry of lawful permanent residents ​who have been in the Democratic Republic of ‌Congo, Uganda or South Sudan in the previous 21 days, citing concerns over Ebola.

US citizens, nationals and green card holders had ​been exempt from a 30-day Ebola ban, ​but the US CDC said on Friday that ⁠extending the ban to green card holders was necessary ​to stop the virus from entering the country.

“Applying this ​authority to lawful permanent residents for a limited period of time provides a balance between protecting public health and managing emergency ​response resources,” the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention ​said in a statement.

The World Health Organisation on Friday raised to “very ‌high“ ⁠the risk of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the DRC and has declared the outbreak there and in Uganda an emergency ​of international ​concern.

The CDC first ⁠issued the order on Monday under Title 42 of the US public health law, ​which allows federal health authorities to prohibit ​migrants from ⁠entering the country to prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

Green card holders have historically been shielded from US ⁠entry ​restrictions.

The CDC’s COVID-era Title 42 ​order did not apply to them, nor did President Donald Trump’s ​various travel bans.

For the latest news, follow us on Twitter @Aaj_Urdu. We are also on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.