The Traveller's Magazine
North Korea is closing its borders to international tourists amidst fears of Ebola getting into the country. Tour operators have had to cancel all future trips as it is unknown how long the ban on foreigners will last.
The country is certainly taking preventative measures to make sure that the Ebola infection doesn’t get through its borders. KCNA, the country’s state-run news agency, stated that travellers would need to “undergo more thorough checks and quarantine than ever before.” The country’s public health agencies are regularly examining all people in order to confirm that anyone with suspicious symptoms isn’t carrying the disease.
North Korea has become one of the most adventurous places to travel in recent years, especially among westerners. They even decided Western tourists could run in the Pyongyang Marathon next year!
It’s not certain how long the borders will remain shut, and this isn’t the first time North Korea has done this sort of thing. In 2003, the country closed its borders during the whole SARS epidemic. So far there have been no reported cases of Ebola in Asia.
