The Trump administration is ensuring the Ebola outbreak in Africa doesn’t make its way to the United States.
The Department of War and the Department of Health and Human Services are planning to establish a quarantine facility in Kenya for Americans who have been exposed to Ebola in the Congo and Uganda.
American citizens will also have the option to be treated at other facilities of their choice outside of the United States.
The move comes as the WHO has reported the Ebola outbreak in the Congo has reached nearly 1,000 cases with over 200 people dying from the disease.
The Associated Press had more to report on the United States’ response to Ebola:
The Trump administration is planning to send Americans who are exposed to Ebola to a new facility in Kenya instead of flying them to the United States, an administration official said Wednesday.
The quarantine and treatment center being set up by the Departments of Defense, State and Health and Human Services will be designed for Ebola patients who need to get out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and receive care quickly, said the official who requested anonymity to share the administration’s plans. The person said the plan would help patients avoid an hours-long medical evacuation to the U.S.
It wasn’t immediately clear where in Kenya the new facility will be built or whether the Kenyan government has signed off on the plan.
The official said the facility will be able to care for the full spectrum of Ebola, a rare but severe disease that is often fatal in people. But they said people may be transported elsewhere for more advanced care as appropriate.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously shared the United States goal is making sure Ebola patients or those exposed to the outbreak do not enter the United States:
Rubio: "We can't have ebola cases here. In fact, I think we had a flight last night headed to Detroit that was diverted." pic.twitter.com/S84FmWIq5b
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 21, 2026
Reuters reported Rubio also addressed the current Ebola outbreak during the Trump administration’s recent cabinet meeting:
The United States said on Wednesday it must prevent any cases of Ebola from entering the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an outbreak has already caused a suspected 220 deaths and 900 cases.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola the third-largest such outbreak on record, and a public health emergency of international concern.“We cannot and will not allow any cases of Ebola to enter the United States,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday at President Donald Trump’s cabinet meeting.
ADVERTISEMENTLast week, a U.S. citizen who was treating patients in the DRC as a medical missionary was confirmed to have contracted Ebola and was moved to Germany for treatment along with five others who were exposed. A seventh person was taken to the Czech Republic.
Watch Rubio here:
SECRETARY RUBIO on EBOLA: We’ve got good efforts in place and Americans should feel assured that the President and his administration are doing everything we can do to protect them. pic.twitter.com/8lMGVLAJUa
— Department of State (@StateDept) May 27, 2026
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