A pedestrian walks past a FIFA World Cup countdown timer and an advertisement in Vancouver.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
The government could suspend the visas of more than 24,000 travellers planning to visit Canada from African countries at the heart of an Ebola virus outbreak, the federal immigration department says.
Public health officials are confident travel restrictions and any visa suspensions will not have a significant impact on Canada’s World Cup festivities, which are expected to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to Toronto and Vancouver for the upcoming matches featuring 12 international teams.
Instead, health officials say other illnesses could cause more disruption as travellers from around the globe come to Canada.
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There isn’t a lot of travel to Canada from the restricted countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said at a news briefing last week.
“I am most concerned, particularly through FIFA, that there will be people who are from somewhere near there who present with an unusual illness,” Dr. Henry added.
One of those illnesses could be malaria, as its symptoms closely resemble the Ebola virus in the early stages.
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The FIFA World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico and the United States. The Canadian matches kick off in Toronto, which will host six games starting on June 12, and in Vancouver, which will host seven games starting June 13.
As of May 27, people travelling from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan have been barred from entering Canada for 90 days. As of May 30, those who have been in those areas will have to self-isolate and quarantine for 21 days. The Ebola border measures are scheduled to be in effect until Aug. 29.
The restrictions were put in place after the World Health Organization disclosed an outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo species of the Ebola virus on May 17.
Ebola is a deadly disease that can cause fever, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea and impaired liver and kidney functions. As of June 1, the DRC and Uganda Ministries of Health reported 49 confirmed deaths and 332 cases since the new outbreak began.
There has never been a case of Ebola disease imported into Canada and there are currently no cases in North America, the Public Health Agency said in a statement.
The United States and Mexico have issued similar travel measures, which will impact people arriving in North America during the World Cup.
“This coordinated approach aims to protect our citizens and the millions of visitors, fans, athletes, and tourists expected during the FIFA World Cup 2026, while maintaining travel and commerce across our borders,” Global Affairs Canada said in an e-mailed statement to The Globe.
Dr. Srinivas Murthy, an associate professor in the faculty of medicine at UBC, agrees with Dr. Henry’s concern about other diseases spreading in Canada and potentially during the World Cup.
“Lots of other diseases, which are likely to be more common, like malaria, could possibly mimic and elicit a testing cascade. That is something we are hopefully prepared for,” Dr. Murthy said.
“The transmissibility of an individual who is asymptomatic walking around is virtually zero and so for travellers it is not necessarily something we are particularly concerned about,” he added.
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Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Michelle Murti, said in an e-mailed statement to The Globe that the city’s public health office is prepared for viral fevers, such as Ebola.
“Health care providers would notify public health if a suspected case arose, allowing co-ordination of testing, hospital care and contact tracing to prevent secondary infections,” Dr. Murti said.
Caroline Colijn, an SFU professor with a focus in mathematics, evolution and public health, said border measures only go so far with preventing the spread of diseases.
“I appreciate the desire to prevent introductions of this deadly virus in Canada, but people can travel from indirect routes and it is hard to control things,” Ms. Colijn said.
“Ebola can have a long latency period, so you might not get symptoms right away. That’s not something you will find with a fever screening if they have no symptoms,” she added.
About 12,600 people from the DRC, 11,500 from Uganda and 470 from the Republic of South Sudan have valid immigration travel documents for Canada which will be affected by the restrictions, the federal Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship department told The Globe.
With a report from Jesse Winter
Ask us your questions about the World Cup
FIFA frenzy is taking hold, and on Tuesday, June 9 at 1 p.m. ET, our soccer experts are answering your questions about the 2026 men’s tournament. From Canada’s chances at a deep run to new rules and the politics of co-hosting with the U.S. and Mexico, submit your questions in the form below or send an e-mail to audience@globeandmail.com with “World Cup question” in the subject line.