Flights are back in the air over eastern Congo's outbreak zone — but after 10 days of silence on the tarmac, officials say it's a careful restart, not a free-for-all.

The story, via cbinews.tv

So, the main airport in Ituri, that's the province right at the centre of the DRC's latest Ebola outbreak, reopened on Tuesday.

The government shut it down on 23 May, pausing all commercial flights in and out of Bunia, the provincial capital. For the past 10 days only medical and humanitarian planes were allowed in, because, frankly, eastern DRC is already conflict-plagued enough without adding a highly contagious haemorrhagic fever to the mix.

Why the pause? Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said they needed time to put proper health measures in place to protect travellers and crews.

The numbers behind the worry are stark. The Democratic Republic of Congo is battling a major epidemic that Africa CDC says is suspected to have killed at least 246 people in the DRC and neighbouring Uganda.

On Tuesday, the transport ministry said they'd finished their assessment. Their verdict: screening and surveillance are now good enough for "a gradual and safe resumption" of flights. In other words, passenger planes can return, but expect temperature checks, health forms, and a lot more scrutiny than usual.

It's a balancing act. Keep Ituri connected for aid and trade, but don't give Ebola a free ride out of the province.

What to watch next

How strict the new screening actually is on the ground in Bunia

Whether neighbouring Uganda tightens its own border checks in response

Africa CDC updates on case numbers in the coming week

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