An Air France passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) managed to board a flight to Detroit, Michigan, on Wednesday despite new Ebola-related travel restrictions, prompting US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to redirect the plane to Canada. Because nothing says "public health precaution" like sending a potentially exposed traveler to Montreal.
"Due to entry restrictions put in place to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger should not have boarded the plane," a CBP spokesperson said in a statement, presumably while wondering how exactly this happens. CBP, in coordination with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said it is "taking the necessary measures to protect public health and reduce the risk of Ebola disease introduction into the United States" - starting with making sure this particular passenger never sets foot on US soil.
The flight was instead diverted to Montreal, Canada, where the passenger presumably received a warm welcome and possibly a hazmat suit. The incident comes just after the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implemented temporary measures on Monday to prevent Ebola from entering the US, including enhanced screening and entry restrictions for non-US passport holders who have been in Uganda, DRC, or South Sudan in the previous 21 days. The order lasts 30 days, which should be plenty of time for everyone to figure out how to properly screen passengers.
Starting Thursday, all US-bound flights carrying foreign travelers who have visited those three countries must land at Washington-Dulles international airport in Virginia, where the US government has focused its public health resources. "Enhanced public health measures" await them there, which presumably include more thorough questioning than "Did you just come from an Ebola zone? No? Great, enjoy Detroit."
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization reported nearly 600 suspected Ebola cases and 139 suspected deaths, with numbers expected to rise. The DRC has confirmed 51 cases, though the WHO director-general noted "the scale of the epidemic in DRC is much larger." Uganda has confirmed two cases, and an American citizen working in the DRC has tested positive and been transferred to Germany - making this whole "one guy boards the wrong plane" story seem almost quaint by comparison.