Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 160, Number 31: ORDERS IN COUNCIL

August 1, 2026

PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA

QUARANTINE ACT

Order Amending the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026

P.C. 2026-711 July 18, 2026

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that there is an outbreak of a communicable disease, namely Ebola disease, in a foreign country;

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the introduction or spread of the disease would pose an imminent and severe risk to public health in Canada;

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the entry of persons into Canada who have recently been in that foreign country may introduce or contribute to the spread of the disease in Canada;

And whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that no reasonable alternatives to prevent the introduction or spread of the disease in Canada are available;

Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Health, makes the annexed Order Amending the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026 under section 58 of the Quarantine Act footnote a.

Order Amending the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026

Amendments

1 Section 1 of the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026 footnote 1 is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:

foreign national
has the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. (étranger)

2 The Order is amended by adding the following after section 1:

Prohibition

1.1 A foreign national is prohibited from entering Canada if they have been in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 21 days before the day on which they seek to enter Canada.

Exempted persons — prohibition

1.2 (1) Subject to subsection (2), section 1.1 does not apply to the following persons:

Exemption letter

(2) A person referred to in any of paragraphs (1)(c) to (g) who wishes to be exempted under subsection (1) must obtain a letter from the Public Health Agency of Canada granting the exemption and, if they seek to enter Canada by aircraft, must present the letter to the air carrier before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Canada.

Coming into Force

3 This Order comes into force at 23:59:59 Eastern Daylight Time on July 20, 2026.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

This Order in Council amends the Order in Council entitled Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026, made on May 29, 2026, and is made pursuant to section 58 of the Quarantine Act to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of Ebola disease in Canada.

The present Order establishes border measures based on an individual’s citizenship or permanent residency status, and recent travel history. The Order lists limited categories of exempted persons for whom certain requirements, including the requirement to quarantine for 21 days, do not apply.

Foreign nationals who have, in the last 21 days, been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are prohibited from entering Canada, unless exempt.

Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons registered as Indians under the Indian Act who have, in the last 21 days, been present in the DRC are not subject to a prohibition on entry but are required to complete a mandatory 21-day quarantine upon arrival, unless exempt.

All other travellers who have, in the last 21 days, been present in South Sudan, Uganda, or any other foreign country that is assessed to have a “high” or “very high” risk of an outbreak of Ebola disease by Canada’s Minister of Health are permitted to enter Canada but are subject to a mandatory 21-day quarantine, unless exempt. This includes Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons registered as Indians under the Indian Act, and foreign nationals who are eligible for entry into Canada.

Per the Order, travellers eligible for entry into Canada will be identified upon arrival, referred to a quarantine officer for assessment, and required to comply with public health measures. Unless exempt, these travellers must remain in quarantine until the conclusion of their 21-day quarantine. If they develop symptoms, they must report any symptoms and enter into isolation at a medical facility. Persons exempted from the requirement to quarantine will be required to self-monitor and follow all the instructions provided by a quarantine officer if they develop symptoms of Ebola disease. Travellers who exhibit symptoms consistent with Ebola disease will be immediately isolated and referred for medical assessment and appropriate management.

This Order is in effect from July 20, 2026, at 23:59:59 EDT and expires on August 29, 2026, at 23:59:59 EDT.

Objective

The objective of this Order is to protect public health by reducing the risk of the introduction and spread of Ebola disease in Canada. As a precautionary measure, the Government of Canada is implementing a temporary prohibition on the entry of foreign nationals who have, in the last 21 days, been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with a limited number of exemptions. Targeted public health measures will apply to all other travellers eligible for entry into Canada who have, in the last 21 days, been in the DRC, Uganda or South Sudan, or any other foreign country that has been assessed to have a “high” or “very high” risk of an outbreak of Ebola disease by Canada’s Minister of Health. These measures will aim to ensure that such travellers are identified, assessed, and subject to appropriate quarantine or isolation, as required, to mitigate the risk of disease transmission.

Background

Ebola disease is a severe disease that causes haemorrhagic fever in humans and animals. Of the six strains of this disease, four are pathogenic to humans, including Bundibugyo, which is a strain that currently lacks approved or licensed vaccines or antivirals. The fatality rate for Bundibugyo is 30% to 50%, making rapid public health containment the primary line of defence, and, as a result, clinical management of patients is focused on supportive care.

The Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the DRC remains active, with sustained transmission in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, with sporadic cases in neighbouring provinces. Since the outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17, 2026, the outbreak has continued to rapidly evolve. Per a July 17 update, the WHO has reported 2 124 confirmed cases, including over 828 deaths, and it continues to assess the risk as “very high” in the DRC, “high” in Uganda and “high” for neighbouring countries, including South Sudan.

While the DRC remains the centre of the current outbreak, Uganda and South Sudan continue to be closely monitored due to their proximity to outbreak-affected areas and the movement of people across borders. The high volume of commerce, migration, and humanitarian displacement across borders significantly accelerates the threat of undetected viral transmission. Systemic challenges, including burdened public health infrastructure, as well as conflict and instability, severely constrict the capacity for containment and contact tracing. To date, geographic spread beyond the affected region has remained limited. A small number of imported cases have been reported in Europe, including one case in France and two cases in Germany (the latter were transported for treatment) involving individuals exposed in the DRC.

In light of the evolving outbreak, the Government of Canada has adopted a precautionary approach to support early detection and public health management of potentially exposed travellers. While the current outbreak remains geographically limited and the overall risk to the Canadian population remains low, international travel creates opportunities for infected individuals to travel before symptoms develop. Given that the Ebola disease has an incubation period of up to 21 days, travellers may enter Canada while asymptomatic and become ill after arrival. The prompt identification of individuals who may have been exposed is essential to enable appropriate assessment, monitoring, and response measures.

On May 30, 2026, the Government of Canada introduced temporary border measures to reduce the risk of the introduction and spread of Ebola disease in Canada. As of July 16, 2026, 1 486 travellers have been screened by Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) officers. All travellers have been asymptomatic and assessed as having no probable exposure to Ebola.

On July 13, the United States Department of Homeland Security implemented restrictions preventing United States citizens and nationals who have been in the DRC within a 21-day period from entering the United States by air. Since July 16, travellers with right of entry into the United States have attempted to circumvent U.S. restrictions by flying to Canada and travelling onward to the United States by land. Given the highly integrated nature of North American travel and trade, a long shared land border, and on a precautionary basis, Canada is implementing a temporary entry prohibition to enhance the overall effectiveness of precautionary border measures in response to the current Ebola outbreak. This precautionary approach facilitates a North American perimeter and regional response.

There are no other reasonable alternatives to achieving a coordinated regional response and the consistent application of public health measures. With demonstrated geographic spread, poor contact tracing, and only an estimated 28% of cases reported, allowing travellers from the affected region to travel to Canada could lead to an imported case. Returning travellers place ongoing pressure on Canada’s public health system for provincial and territorial readiness, testing, monitoring calls, and border health infrastructure, including quarantine facilities.

All other measures established under the previous Order in Council remain in effect. This includes health screening, quarantine and isolation requirements, and symptom monitoring obligations for travellers eligible to enter Canada, subject to applicable exemptions.

The objective of Canada’s border measures to protect public health and reduce the risk of the importation of Ebola disease in Canada remains unchanged. Given the severity of Ebola disease, continued transmission in affected regions, and the potential consequences of delayed detection, targeted border measures remain a proportionate, risk-based component of Canada’s public health response.

Implications

Key impacts for travellers and industry

This Order establishes border measures that affect travellers based on citizenship, permanent residency status, and recent travel history. Foreign nationals who have, in the last 21 days, been present in the DRC are prohibited from entering Canada. Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and persons registered as Indians under the Indian Act who, in the past 21 days, have been present in the DRC, as well as all travellers who, in the past 21 days, have been present in South Sudan and Uganda, or any other foreign country that is assessed to have a “high” or “very high” risk of an outbreak of Ebola disease by Canada’s Minister of Health may enter Canada, but will be subject to a health assessment upon arrival.

Asymptomatic travellers will be required to present a suitable quarantine plan upon arrival, quarantine for 21 days, and be subject to regular monitoring by the relevant public health authority. If asymptomatic travellers start to feel unwell, they are required to inform a quarantine officer and immediately isolate for 21 days from the day on which their symptoms began.

Travellers experiencing symptoms consistent with Ebola disease (including fever, headache, fatigue, rash, abdominal pain, and internal and external bleeding) will be immediately referred for a medical evaluation and required to isolate for 21 days.

The Order lists limited categories of exempted asymptomatic persons (e.g. aircrew, persons entering Canada to provide medical care, persons for whom exemption from the quarantine requirement is in the national interest) for whom certain requirements, including the requirement to quarantine for 21 days, do not apply. Persons exempted from the requirement to quarantine will be required to self-monitor and follow all the instructions provided by a quarantine officer if they develop symptoms of Ebola disease. Travellers subject to quarantine requirements are not permitted to depart Canada until the conclusion of their 21-day quarantine period.

For all other travellers, there is no impact under this Order.

The PHAC Order does not impose new requirements on air industry stakeholders. The Order imposes requirements on certain travellers wishing to be exempted from entry prohibitions to request an exemption letter from PHAC prior to departing for Canada. If they travel by air, travellers are required to present this letter to air carriers before boarding a flight to Canada. This supports air carriers who must verify that travellers meet conditions for entry to Canada under Transport Canada’s Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights to Canada Due to Ebola Disease.

There are no new requirements for marine and land conveyance operators. All conveyance operators remain subject to existing obligations under the Quarantine Act, including to report, as soon as possible before arrival in Canada, any reasonable grounds to suspect that a person, cargo, or other thing on board could cause the spread of a communicable disease listed in the Schedule to the Quarantine Act, or if a death has occurred on board. These obligations are routine and continue to apply regardless of this Order.

Over the course of the Order’s application period, the Minister may designate additional countries deemed to require the imposition of measures. Factors the Minister of Health will consider in assessing “high” or “very high” risk include scientific evidence and other data relating to an outbreak of Ebola disease or the risk of an outbreak of Ebola disease in a foreign country, epidemiology (including severity, rate of transmission) in a country, public health measures in place in a country, and any other factors the Minister considers relevant to minimizing the risk arising from the disease, including the public interest.

Penalties

Failure to comply with this Order and other related measures under the Quarantine Act are offences under the Quarantine Act. The maximum penalties are a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or imprisonment for three years, or both. Non-compliance is also subject to fines under the federal Contraventions Act.

Consultation

The Government of Canada has engaged key stakeholders (provincial and territorial partners, relevant Government of Canada departments and agencies, transport industry stakeholders) to align efforts and to advance implementation plans.

As part of its commitments under the International Health Regulations, Canada will also notify the World Health Organization of this action.

Contact

Luc Brisebois
Public Health Agency of Canada
Email: Luc.Brisebois@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Telephone: 613‑960‑6637