Enhanced passenger screening for signs of the Ebola virus has begun at JFK International Airport in New York.
Passengers arriving from West Africa will have their temperatures taken with no-touch thermometers. They will also be required to fill out a questionnaire from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upon landing.
Dr. Martin Cetron, director of the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, warned that no matter how many procedures are put in place, the risk cannot be minimized to zero. He added that the move will just add an additional measure of security to the American public.
Under the procedure, passengers originating from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone will be subjected to the additional screening. Passengers will be required to get their temperature measured and answer questions about their health and possible exposure to Ebola.
Those suspected of possible Ebola exposure will be referred to a CDC public health officer for additional screening.
After the initial run at JFK, the screening is expected to be expanded to Washington-Dulles, Newark, Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Thursday.
The five airports receive 94 percent of the travelers coming from the affected countries, the CDC said.
Agencies/Canadajournal
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