Ebola outbreak could cause fresh blow to struggling World Cup
The Ebola outbreak, a public health emergency of international concern as declared by the World Health Organization (WHO), could be a fresh blow to the already struggling World Cup about a month before people from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) come to watch their team play in Texas.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Monday that travel restrictions would be imposed for 30 days amid the outbreak, particularly for non-U.S. passport holders who have been in Uganda, DRC or South Sudan in the past 21 days. These restrictions are set to expire the day before DRC is scheduled to play its first game in the World Cup at NRG Stadium in Houston on June 17.
The Congolese government is reportedly planning to send about 200 to 300 supporters to the United States as an organized fan base for its team, and outlets have also reported that the country’s authorities have purchased about 1,000 tickets for the group-stage matches to ensure its supporters have a visible presence in stadiums. Additionally, the outlet Foot Africa reported, FIFA has set aside about 5,000 seats for Congolese fans for DRC’s opening match against Portugal in Houston.
However, as the outbreak continues to raise concerns ahead of the World Cup, 500 more seats have become available for the DRC-Portugal game, according to the ticket website seatsidekick.com. Outside the outbreak, the tournament was already struggling with underwhelming demand, with ticket prices falling to below $100 on a resale platform in recent days.
Despite the potential health concerns, officials have said the risk to Americans from the current Ebola outbreak remains low.
As of Tuesday morning, one American has tested positive for Ebola in a case tied to the DRC outbreak. The CDC said that on May 17, an American who was “exposed as part of their work caring for patients in DRC” tested positive for the disease and was evacuated to Germany for treatment.
Health officials have repeatedly stressed that Ebola is not airborne and spreads only through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, making casual transmission in public settings highly unlikely.
Newsweek has contacted the Houston Mayor’s Office, the Texas Governor’s Office, the NRG Stadium media office and the DRC’s Ministry of Sports and Leisure for comment via email outside regular working hours.
Hantavirus and Other Health Concerns
Amid DRC’s Ebola outbreak, Argentina is experiencing one of its largest hantavirus outbreaks in years—not long after an outbreak was reported on board a cruise ship, which resulted in eight cases and several deaths. Across the U.S., 41 people remain under monitoring after being passengers on the ship or potentially being exposed to the virus.
Argentine fans are likely to descend on two cities in June: Dallas and Kansas City. The exact number of fans coming from the country are not certain, but reports from the 2022 World Cup estimate that between 35,000 and 40,000 fans made the trip from Argentina to Qatar.
The Africa CDC has called out the U.S. CDC for its travel restrictions and the State Department’s updating of its travel advisory for the DRC to a Level 4, urging Americans not to travel to the country.
In a statement, Africa CDC said the travel restrictions offered “limited public health benefits” while generating significant economic, humanitarian and operational consequences. Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya advocated for greater support in controlling the outbreak at the source, demanding “solidarity, not stigmatization.”
It is also important to note that none of the DRC’s players is based in the country, meaning the team is unlikely to be affected by the travel restrictions. Of the 26-man group, none is listed as a domestically based player, according to the soccer website transfermarkt.com, suggesting they all play for clubs in other countries, such as West Ham and Newcastle in the United Kingdom.
