Thailand has become the first country to impose a mandatory 21-day quarantine on travellers arriving from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda amid the growing rate of Ebola cases in the two African countries. 

According to reports, the new rules became effective on May 27 after the proposal was approved by Thailand’s National Communicable Disease Committee following the declaration of Ebola as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation.  

The Southeast Asian country’s Department of Disease Control (DDC) said the quarantine protocols apply to every individual who has travelled from or passed through both DR Congo and Uganda within the last 21 days.

The DDC also mandated that travellers coming from both territories should be allowed to enter Thailand only via Suvarnabhumi Airport, with even those without symptoms placed in government-approved quarantine facilities for at least 21 days. 

The Economic Times reported that Thai officials noted the country had not recorded any case as of Wednesday but maintained the rules were important preventative measures, citing severity of Ebola with an incubation period of up to 21 days.

Additionally, Thai health authorities stated that DR Congo has reported 867 suspected Ebola cases and 214 deaths, while Uganda confirmed five infections and one death. 

Travellers who fail to comply with the new quarantine rules may face fines up to $600, while those who leave isolation facilities without prior authorisation could face imprisonment of up to one year, fines of up to $3,000, or both under Thailand’s Communicable Diseases Act.

“We request the cooperation of all travelers to provide their truthful travel history in order to prevent and control the disease effectively,” the DDC Director-General Dr Montien Kanasawat said. 

He added, “Furthermore, we would like to assure the public of Thailand’s surveillance system, which is fully prepared in terms of personnel, medical supplies, and advanced laboratories.”