As the U.S. government tightened entry restrictions in response to the spread of Ebola, a French passenger plane with a passenger of Democratic Republic of the Congo nationality on board was denied entry to the United States and made a diversionary landing in Canada.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 21st, local time, Air France flight 378 from Paris to Detroit changed its destination to Montreal, Canada, the previous day after entry was restricted for one passenger.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement, "It was belatedly confirmed that a passenger from the Democratic Republic of the Congo boarded the aircraft due to an airline error," and "Under entry restrictions to reduce the risk of the Ebola virus, the passenger was not eligible to board."
In the end, the aircraft could not land at Detroit Airport in Michigan. Public broadcaster CBC in Canada, citing the Public Health Agency of Canada, said the passenger was screened at Montreal's airport and then returned to Paris. No particular symptoms have been observed in the passenger so far.
The U.S. government also issued a health alert related to Ebola that day. The State Department said that those who visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within the past 21 days can enter the United States only through Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) near Washington, D.C. At that airport, health authorities are conducting enhanced health screenings for arrivals.