The U.S. plans to block citizens who are in Congo from taking immediate direct flights home, citing heightened Ebola risks, according to multiple reports. The action is linked to a U.S. health order signed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, on July 13. The order cites increased risk of Ebola transmission, including concern that the virus has spread to areas located only hours outside Kinshasa, the Congolese capital. Media coverage describes the measure as preventing departures by U.S. citizens from Congo via direct travel home in the immediate term, as the U.S. assesses the situation and adjusts public health and travel guidance. The reports frame the decision as a precautionary step tied to the changing geographic spread of the outbreak and the potential for exposure as travel routes and timing are considered. While the coverage emphasizes the rationale related to Ebola proximity to Kinshasa, it does not provide detailed information in the excerpts about timelines, specific flight restrictions, exemptions, or enforcement mechanisms.