Rwanda requires US, Spain visitor health reports

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Rwanda’s Ministry of Health is requiring visitors who have been in the United States or Spain during the previous 22 days to report their medical condition to health authorities upon arrival in Rwanda, the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda said Tuesday.

A Ministry of Health document says all passengers from the U.S. and Spain – two countries that have seen cases of Ebola – will have temperatures taken upon arrival. Passengers with fevers will be denied entry, and those without fevers will still be required to report daily health conditions.

Dr. Agnes Binagwaho, Rwanda’s health minister, said Tuesday that travelers from the U.S. and Spain will be required to fill a detailed form upon arrival at border entry points.

“It is definitely extra work for us. We have to ensure that all citizens or any other travelers arriving from the above mentioned countries including the U.S have to be screened in an extra careful manner and follow up on them during their stay,” Bingwaho said.

No Ebola cases have been reported in Rwanda. The U.S. Embassy said that Rwanda is not allowing visitors who have recently traveled to Guinea, Liberia, Senegal, or Sierra Leone, though the incoming health form advises those traveling from those countries must also report health conditions daily.

Rwanda has quarantined 30 people since the Ebola outbreak. No U.S. citizens have been quarantined. One German national has been quarantined.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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