Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Libreville, Gabon (April 15, 2020)
Location: Gabon
Event: Confinement Measures and Possible Departure Flight
On April 10, the Gabonese government announced a 15-day period of confinement for Libreville, Owendo, Akanda, Ntoum, and Pointe Dénis. The period of confinement began at midnight on April 12 and may be extended as necessary. All U.S. citizens who reside in the areas listed should prepare to remain at home for an extended period. As of April 15, individuals in all parts of the country are required to wear masks in public to limit the spread of COVID-19.
During the period of confinement, residents may leave their homes only to perform necessary tasks such as securing food, water, or medicine or if their job involves performing a service that the government has deemed essential. Individuals should remain in their own communes when they leave their homes to procure essential goods. Supermarkets, stores that sell food, and pharmacies will remain open. Persons who plan to leave their homes to provide essential services must obtain a laissez-passer from the Ministry of Interior. Law enforcement and military officials will monitor compliance with the confinement measures.
The Gabonese government has banned all international and domestic passenger flights except for repatriation flights specifically authorized by the government. The U.S. Embassy in Libreville is currently organizing a charter flight that will depart from Libreville for Washington D.C. on Friday, April 17 with stops in Cape Verde and Bangor, Maine. The cost of the flight has not yet been determined, but is expected to be approximately $3,400 for an adult ticket. Passengers boarding this flight will be required to sign a promissory note in order to reimburse the U.S. government for the cost of the flight.
If you are a U.S. citizen who is interested in this flight, please send the following information immediately to LibrevilleACS@state.gov:
- Your full name as spelled in your passport
- Nationality
- Current phone number and WhatsApp number
- Email address
- Date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY)
- Passport number, date of issuance, date of expiration. If not a U.S. passport, please note country of issuance.
- Current location (city, country, hotel name if not in residence)
- Healthcondition and special considerations
- Number of U.S. citizens in your party. Please note any non-U.S. citizen immediate family members seeking to travel with you.
- Gabonese visa status (i.e. valid until MM/DD/YYYY)
- Employer or affiliation within Gabon
- Scanned copy of the bio page of your passport and visa or carte de séjour
Seats will be offered first to official U.S. government personnel and their dependents, U.S. citizens at higher risk from COVID-19, U.S. citizen minors (accompanied by one parent or guardian), and adult U.S. citizens in need of medical assistance who do not fall into a higher priority group, in that order. After these priority boarding groups are accommodated, seats will be offered to U.S. citizens, dependents of U.S. citizens, U.S. Legal Permanent Residents and other eligible persons, in that order. All passengers must be authorized by the Gabonese government to depart and must have appropriate travel documents to enter the United States.
The Embassy encourages all U.S. citizens to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) so that they will receive alerts and messages from the Embassy.
On March 14, the Department of State authorized the departure from any diplomatic or consular post in the world of U.S. personnel and family members who have been medically determined to be at higher risk of a poor outcome if exposed to COVID-19.
Effective March 16, U.S. Embassy Libreville has suspended routine consular services. For emergency American Citizens Services, including emergency passports, please visit our website for additional information.
Actions to Take:
- Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information.
- For the most recent information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
- Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information.
- Check with your airlines, cruise lines, or travel operators regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
- Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Gabon.
- Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s websiteon the latest travel restrictions to the United States
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Libreville, Gabon
Sablière, BP 4000
Libreville, Gabon
(241) 011-45-71-00
LibrevilleACS@state.gov
https://ga.usembassy.gov/ - State Department – Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444 - Gabon Country Information
- Enroll in Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts.
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