CDC Issues Ebola Travel Guidance for Returning Travelers
The CDC has issued information for travelers returning from Ebola-affected areas. Here's what Washington DC-area travelers need to know.
In brief
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published updated information directed at travelers returning from Ebola-affected areas, flagging the importance of health awareness and monitoring for anyone who has recently visited affected regions.
Key Takeaways
The CDC has issued formal guidance for travelers returning from Ebola-affected areas.
Washington DC-area residents who have traveled to affected regions should consult CDC recommendations directly.
The CDC is the primary federal authority on Ebola travel health precautions for Americans.
CDC Directs Returning Travelers to Follow Ebola Health Guidance
For Washington DC residents — a city home to a large population of international travelers, diplomats, global health professionals, and federal workers — CDC travel health advisories carry particular weight. The agency, headquartered in Atlanta and operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, serves as the nation's lead public health institution and the authoritative voice on disease risk for Americans traveling or returning from abroad.
The CDC's guidance for travelers returning from Ebola-affected areas is part of the agency's broader framework for monitoring and containing infectious disease risk at U.S. borders and within American communities. Ebola virus disease, caused by the Ebola virus, is a rare but severe illness that has historically affected parts of sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Health Organization.
Washington DC sits at the center of global health policy. Institutions like the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in nearby Bethesda, along with a dense network of global health nonprofits, international development organizations, and embassies throughout Northwest DC and the broader DMV, mean the capital region hosts a disproportionate share of travelers with international exposure.
For anyone in the District, Maryland, or Virginia who has recently returned from an Ebola-affected area, the CDC's guidance is the first and most important resource to consult.
Why This Matters in Washington: DC's role as a hub for international diplomacy, global health institutions, and federal agencies makes CDC travel health advisories directly relevant to residents. Thousands of Washingtonians travel internationally each year for government, nonprofit, and academic work — making awareness of active CDC travel guidance a practical public health priority for this city, not an abstraction.
What Travelers Should Do
The CDC recommends that travelers returning from Ebola-affected areas follow the agency's official protocols. For the most current and complete instructions, travelers should visit the CDC's dedicated Ebola traveler information page at cdc.gov.
The bottom line: if you have traveled to an Ebola-affected area and are now back in the Washington DC region, do not wait for symptoms to appear before consulting CDC guidance. Proactive health monitoring is the standard the agency recommends.
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FAQ: CDC Ebola Guidance for Returning Travelers
Q: Where can I find the CDC's official guidance for travelers returning from Ebola-affected areas? A: The CDC publishes its official Ebola traveler information at cdc.gov/ebola/travelers.
Q: Who should follow CDC Ebola travel guidance? A: Anyone who has recently traveled to or returned from an area identified by the CDC as Ebola-affected should review the agency's guidance.
Q: Is Ebola a current risk for Washington DC travelers? A: The CDC issues guidance when travel-related risk is identified. DC-area residents who travel internationally for government, nonprofit, or academic work should monitor CDC travel health notices regularly.
Q: What federal agency oversees Ebola travel health guidance in the United States? A: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, operating under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead federal authority on Ebola travel health guidance for Americans.
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What to Watch Next: Monitor the CDC's travel health notices page for updates to Ebola-affected area designations and any changes to returning traveler protocols. DC-area global health professionals and frequent international travelers should bookmark the CDC's traveler health portal for real-time advisories.
Reporting drawn from: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
