Canada Gazette, Part I, Volume 160, Number 36: ORDERS IN COUNCIL

September 5, 2026

PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA

QUARANTINE ACT

Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026, No. 2

P.C. 2026-779 August 28, 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 Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026, No. 2 under section 58 of the Quarantine Act footnote a.

Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026, No. 2

Definitions

1 The following definitions apply in this Order.

air carrier
has the same meaning as in subsection 3(1) of the Aeronautics Act. (transporteur aérien)
Canadian Forces
means the armed forces of His Majesty raised by Canada. (Forces canadiennes)
common-law partner
has the same meaning as in subsection 1(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. (conjoint de fait)
dependent child
has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. (enfant à charge)
immediate family member,
in respect of a person, means
  • (a) the spouse or common-law partner of the person;
  • (b) a dependent child of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner;
  • (c) a dependent child of the dependent child referred to in paragraph (b);
  • (d) the parent or step-parent of the person or of the person’s spouse or common-law partner; or
  • (e) the guardian or tutor of the person. (membre de la famille immĂ©diate)
isolation
means the separation of persons who have symptoms of Ebola disease in such a manner as to prevent the spread of the disease. (isolement)
private operator
has the same meaning as in subsection 101.01(1) of the Canadian Aviation Regulations. (exploitant privé)
quarantine
means the separation of persons in such a manner as to prevent the possible spread of disease. (quarantaine)
quarantine facility
means a place that is designated under section 7 of the Quarantine Act or that is deemed to be designated under subsection 8(2) of that Act. (installation de quarantaine)
symptoms of Ebola disease
includes symptoms such as a fever, chills, a sore throat, joint or muscle pain, a rash, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bleeding. (symptĂ´mes de la maladie Ebola)

Exemption

2 A person who arrives at an airport in Canada aboard a commercial passenger aircraft, is transiting to a foreign country and remains in a sterile transit area or designated holding area, as those terms are defined in section 2 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, is exempt from the application of this Order, other than sections 3 and 4, until they leave Canada.

Prohibition

3 A foreign national, as defined in subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, 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 intend to enter Canada.

Exempted persons — prohibition

4 (1) Subject to subsection (2), section 3 does not apply to the following persons:

Exemption letter

(2) Unless the Minister determines that exigent circumstances exist that make it impracticable, a person referred to in paragraphs (1)(g) or (h) is exempt under subsection (1) only if they first obtain a letter from the Public Health Agency of Canada granting the exemption and,

Suitable quarantine plan

5 (1) A suitable quarantine plan must meet the following requirements:

Place of quarantine — conditions

(2) The conditions for the place of quarantine are the following:

Health assessment on entry

6 (1) A person who, in the 21 days before the day on which they enter Canada, has been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan — or in another foreign country for which the Minister has assessed the risk of an outbreak of Ebola disease to be high or very high — must, on entry into Canada,

Factors

(2) In assessing the risk, the Minister must consider

Minister’s assessment or reassessment

(3) The Minister may, at any time, assess or reassess the risk of an outbreak of Ebola disease in a foreign country referred to in subsection (1) and, when doing so, must consider the factors set out in subsection (2).

Risk no longer high or very high

(4) This Order does not apply to a person who has been in a foreign country referred to in subsection (1) if, before the day on which they enter Canada,

Determination

7 On the basis of the health assessment referred to in paragraph 6(1)(b), the quarantine officer must determine the person to be

Asymptomatic

8 (1) A person who is determined by a quarantine officer to be asymptomatic must

Quarantine facility

(2) If the person does not provide to the quarantine officer a suitable quarantine plan or a new suitable quarantine plan, they must quarantine themselves without delay at a quarantine facility, in accordance with the instructions provided by a quarantine officer, and remain in quarantine at the facility or at any other quarantine facility to which they are subsequently transferred until the end of the 21-day period that begins on the day on which they enter Canada.

New place of quarantine

(3) With the approval of a quarantine officer and in accordance with the quarantine officer’s instructions, the person may change their place of quarantine, if they provide to the quarantine officer a new suitable quarantine plan and comply with the requirements set out in paragraphs (1)(b) and (c).

Mandatory relocation

(4) If a place of quarantine no longer meets the conditions set out in subsection 5(2) or if a quarantine officer determines it to be necessary for a public health reason, the person must, in accordance with the quarantine officer’s instructions, provide to the quarantine officer a new suitable quarantine plan and comply with the requirements set out in paragraphs (1)(b) and (c).

Leaving quarantine facility

(5) With the approval of a quarantine officer and in accordance with the quarantine officer’s instructions, the person may leave the quarantine facility before the end of their quarantine period if, during that period, they provide to the quarantine officer a suitable quarantine plan and comply with the requirements set out in paragraphs (1)(b) and (c).

Quarantine — additional requirements

9 A person referred to in section 8 must, in accordance with those instructions,

Exempted persons — quarantine

10 (1) Sections 8 and 9 do not apply to the following persons:

Symptom monitoring

(2) A person referred to in subsection (1) must monitor themselves for symptoms of Ebola disease until the end of the 21-day period that begins on the day on which the person enters Canada and, if they develop any symptoms of Ebola disease, immediately report those symptoms, in accordance with the instructions provided by a quarantine officer, and comply with the requirements set out in sections 11 and 12.

Symptomatic

11 A person who is determined by a quarantine officer to be symptomatic, or who becomes symptomatic during the period for which they are quarantining in accordance with the requirements of this Order, must follow all instructions provided by a quarantine officer and must

Isolation — additional requirements

12 A person referred to in section 11 must also, in accordance with the instructions of a quarantine officer,

Exempted persons — medical reason

13 (1) A person is exempted from the quarantine and isolation requirements of this Order

Accompanying person

(2) If the person exempted from the quarantine and isolation requirements under subsection (1) is a dependent child or requires assistance in accessing medical services, treatments or diagnostic tests, the exception set out in that subsection extends to one other person who accompanies the dependent child or the person requiring assistance.

Requirements

(3) The persons referred to in subsections (1) and (2) must

Quarantine Act — powers and obligations

14 For greater certainty, this Order does not affect any of the powers and obligations set out in the Quarantine Act.

Transitional provisions

15 (1) In this section, former Order means the Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026.

Persons quarantined under former Order

(2) A person who was required to quarantine under section 5 of the former Order and is quarantining in accordance with a suitable quarantine plan or at a quarantine facility on the day on which this Order comes into force is required to quarantine for the remainder of the period for which they were quarantining under the former Order and must comply with the requirements set out in sections 8 and 9 of this Order.

Persons isolating under former Order

(3) A person who was in isolation under section 8 of the former Order and is isolating on the day on which this Order comes into force must comply with the requirements set out in sections 11 and 12 of this Order.

Effective period

16 (1) Subject to subsection (2), this Order has effect for the period beginning at 00:00 Eastern Daylight Time on August 30, 2026 — but if it is made after that day, it has effect for the period beginning at 00:00 Eastern Daylight Time on the day on which it is made — and ending at 23:59:59 Eastern Daylight Time on September 28, 2026.

Continuing obligation

(2) In the case of a person referred to in section 6 who enters Canada during the period beginning at 00:00 Eastern Daylight Time on September 8, 2026 and ending at 23:59:59 Eastern Daylight Time on September 28, 2026, this Order continues to have effect until 23:59:59 Eastern Daylight Time on October 19, 2026.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

The Minimizing the Risk of Exposure to Ebola Disease in Canada Order, 2026, No. 2 (the Order) is made pursuant to section 58 of the Quarantine Act to reduce the risk of introduction or spread of Ebola disease in Canada.

The Order succeeds Order in Council P.C. 2026-0522 as amended by P.C. 2026-0711, which came into force on May 30, 2026, and July 20, 2026, respectively.

This Order is in effect from Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 00:00 Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) — but if it is made after that date, it has effect at 00:00 EDT on the day it is made — and expires on September 28, 2026, at 23:59:59 EDT. For travellers subject to the Order entering Canada beginning at 00:00 EDT September 8, 2026, and ending at 23:59:59 EDT on September 28, 2026, the Order continues in effect until October 19, 2026, at 23:59:59 EDT.

Objective

The objective of this Order is to protect public health by reducing the risk of the introduction or spread of Ebola disease in Canada. As a precautionary measure, the Government of Canada is continuing to apply 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 apply to all travellers entering Canada who have, in the last 21 days, been in the DRC, South Sudan, Uganda 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.

Per the Order, travellers entering Canada will be identified upon arrival, referred to a quarantine officer for a health assessment, and required to comply with public health measures. Unless exempt, these travellers must remain in quarantine for 21 days beginning on the day they enter Canada. They must self-monitor for symptoms of Ebola disease, and if they develop symptoms, they must report any symptoms and enter into isolation at a medical facility.

Background

Ebola disease is a severe and often fatal illness caused by viruses in the genus Orthoebolavirus, including Bundibugyo virus, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or specific treatments. The current Bundibugyo virus outbreak, declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization (WHO) on May 17, 2026, continues to expand in the DRC, with sustained transmission across multiple provinces and evidence of ongoing community spread and under-detection of cases. As of August 17, 2026, WHO had reported 5 105 confirmed cases and 2 420 deaths. The outbreak is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, with the WHO indicating that transmission in certain outbreak affected areas is continuing to outpace containment efforts. Response efforts continue to be challenged by insecurity, population mobility, limited healthcare capacity, and community mistrust in outbreak affected areas. Combined with non-specific early symptoms and an incubation period of up to 21 days, these factors continue to pose challenges for case detection and outbreak control.

The outbreak in the DRC continues to pose a risk to neighbouring countries, including Uganda and South Sudan, due to cross-border population movement, trade, and ongoing epidemiological links with affected areas. The WHO continues to assess the risk as “high” in Uganda and neighbouring countries. South Sudan remains under close monitoring despite all 10 suspected cases identified to date testing negative for Bundibugyo virus. Ongoing humanitarian challenges, insecurity, population displacement, and limited health system capacity across the region continue to increase the risk of importation and onward transmission.

In response to the evolving outbreak, the Government of Canada has, to date, taken a precautionary approach to support the early detection and public health management of potentially exposed travellers. While the current outbreak remains geographically limited and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) assesses the overall risk to the Canadian population as low, international travel creates opportunities for infected individuals to cross borders before symptoms develop. Prompt identification of individuals who may have been exposed is therefore critical to support timely risk assessment, monitoring, and the implementation of appropriate public health measures.

Given the severity of Ebola disease, sustained transmission in the affected region, and the potential consequences of delayed detection, targeted border measures have been renewed for a 30-day period to reduce the risk of Ebola disease entering and spreading in Canada. Border measures are an available means of limiting the introduction to or spread of Ebola disease within Canada, and, in the case of importation, limiting export beyond Canada. The use of powers under section 58 of the Quarantine Act is intended to facilitate the targeted screening of arrivals from affected countries, to support a nationally consistent framework, and to extend federal oversight and jurisdiction over incoming travellers beyond arrival. These protections are stronger than those achieved through reliance on existing authorities, which would necessitate individual screening on a case-by-case basis using the authorities under the Quarantine Act. Reliance on existing authorities carries the risk of inconsistency in application. Additionally, it would require the assessment of a significantly higher volume of travellers, substantially increasing operational pressures for both the Canada Border Services Agency and PHAC. It would also require the referral of suspected cases to provincial or territorial authorities, who may not have the capacity to manage a higher volume of such referrals. At the same time, it is beneficial for Canada to remain aligned with the United States (U.S.) and Mexico. A coordinated regional response continues to be important due to the highly integrated nature of cross-border travel and trade.

Continued entry prohibitions for foreign nationals who, in the last 21 days, have been in the DRC reduce risks associated with an increase in numbers of foreign nationals attempting to enter Canada from the country most heavily affected by the Ebola disease outbreak, while also allowing finite resources to be focused on managing travellers with a right of entry. Individuals with a right of entry into Canada (such as citizens and permanent residents) are managed through the domestic public health system, whereas foreign nationals without a right of entry who have been in the DRC in the preceding 21 days are prohibited from entering Canada (subject to limited exemptions) in order to prevent an increase in the number of potentially exposed foreign nationals coming to Canada who may require public health resources in Canada. Additionally, given the recent changes to U.S. measures and the resulting significant risk that additional foreign nationals who have been in the DRC may attempt to travel to Canada as a route to the United States, aligning entry prohibitions with those of the United States helps to mitigate risks of increased numbers of travellers attempting to enter Canada associated with misalignment in regional measures.

Implications

Key impacts for travellers and industry

This Order sets out border measures that affect travellers based on recent travel history. Subject to certain narrow exceptions, 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 under the Indian Act who have been present in the DRC within the previous 21 days may enter Canada. Travellers who, in the previous 21 days, have been present in South Sudan, Uganda, or any other foreign country that the Minister of Health has assessed as having a “high” or “very high” risk of an Ebola disease outbreak may also enter Canada.

All travellers entering Canada who have been present in the DRC, South Sudan, Uganda, or any other designated country in the previous 21 days will be referred to a quarantine officer for a health assessment upon arrival to Canada. Asymptomatic travellers will be required to present a suitable quarantine plan upon arrival, quarantine for 21 days, and be subject to regular monitoring. 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.

The Order provides flexibility for persons in quarantine to transfer from a designated quarantine facility or suitable place of quarantine to another approved place of quarantine, subject to quarantine officer approval. Individuals in transit to a foreign country who stay exclusively in an airport sterile transit area or designated holding area while in Canada would be exempt from the Order, except for the entry prohibition.

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 examination and required to isolate for 21 days and until a quarantine officer determines that they no longer pose a public health risk.

This Order does not impose new requirements on industry stakeholders, including air, marine, and land conveyance operators. 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 Quarantine Act schedule, or if a death has occurred on board. These obligations are routine and continue to apply regardless of this Order.

While Transport Canada’s Interim Order under the Aeronautics Act imposes requirements on air carriers, this Order does not. Rather, it supports air carriers who must verify that travellers meet conditions for boarding a flight to Canada under Transport Canada’s Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights to Canada Due to Ebola Disease, No. 2, by imposing the requirement on certain travellers eligible to be exempted from entry prohibitions to obtain 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.

Travellers should be aware that an exemption under the present Order does not automatically exempt them from requirements under an Order pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Where both Orders apply, travellers may need to meet the requirements of each framework separately before travelling.

While the Order remains in effect, the Minister of Health may assess additional countries as requiring the imposition of measures or remove countries if assessed that measures are no longer required. Factors the Minister 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) 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.

Travellers arriving in Canada without travel history to the DRC, South Sudan, Uganda or any other designated country in the previous 21 days will not be implicated under this Order. All persons arriving in Canada are subject to the Quarantine Act.

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 may also be 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, humanitarian organizations) to align efforts and to advance implementation plans.

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

Contact

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