Travelers who come from three West African countries badly hit by Ebola have to land in any of the 5 airports only, announced by Homeland Security on Tuesday, October 21.
These airports are John F. Kennedy in New York, Washington Dulles, O'Hare in Chicago, Newark in New Jersey, and Atlanta. More than 90% of passengers from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea also land in these international hubs.
The restrictions apply to all travelers, even American citizens, and begin the next day, Wednesday, October 22. Aside from landing to any of these 5 airports, all passengers will have to go through enhanced Ebola screening, including checking their temperature upon landing. Fever is one of the most common symptoms of the infection.
Homeland Security is currently working closely with the different airlines and these airports to ensure that the new guidelines are met and that the changes do not significantly disrupt or interfere regular passenger travel. Passengers who may have already purchased tickets in airports not included in the list may have to rebook.
While a number of health experts believe that there's still no Ebola outbreak in the United States, it's not sufficient to allay the fears of its citizens.
In an article published in Reuters on Tuesday, October 20, the issue about Ebola is one of the major concerns Americans are facing, based on a new Gallup poll. So far, there are 3 Ebola patients who have been diagnosed in the United States, and one of them had already died. Two, meanwhile, were health workers in Dallas Health Presbyterian Hospital. Nina Pham has just been moved to National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, while Amber Vinson is in Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
Three American patients who also suffered from the virus had already been declared fully recovered. The latest one, who chose to remain anonymous in the meantime, has just been discharged, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He stayed in Emory since September 9.