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| Travelers from West African countries will face stronger Ebola screening at U.S. airports | Travelers from West African countries will face stronger Ebola screening at U.S. airports |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Enhanced screening measures aimed at finding travelers infected with Ebola are coming to five of the busiest international airports in the United States, according to federal authorities. | Enhanced screening measures aimed at finding travelers infected with Ebola are coming to five of the busiest international airports in the United States, according to federal authorities. |
| Travelers originating in West African countries will be given questionnaires and have their temperatures taken at these U.S. airports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. | Travelers originating in West African countries will be given questionnaires and have their temperatures taken at these U.S. airports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. |
| “We work to continuously increase the safety of Americans,” CDC Director Thomas Frieden said in a statement Wednesday. “We believe these new measures will further protect the health of Americans, understanding that nothing we can do will get us to absolute zero risk until we end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.” | “We work to continuously increase the safety of Americans,” CDC Director Thomas Frieden said in a statement Wednesday. “We believe these new measures will further protect the health of Americans, understanding that nothing we can do will get us to absolute zero risk until we end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.” |
| Additional CDC staff members will go to these airports and work with Customs and Border Patrol officers to perform the screening. Travelers from the three affected countries will be taken to an area set aside for screening, where they will have their temperatures taken with a thermometer that does not require contact. In addition, customs personnel will look for any signs of illness and asked a series of questions. | Additional CDC staff members will go to these airports and work with Customs and Border Patrol officers to perform the screening. Travelers from the three affected countries will be taken to an area set aside for screening, where they will have their temperatures taken with a thermometer that does not require contact. In addition, customs personnel will look for any signs of illness and asked a series of questions. |
| Any travelers with fever, other symptoms or worrisome answers on a health questionnaire will be checked out at a CDC quarantine station. Travelers who do not require additional checking or quarantine will be asked to leave their contact information and check their temperature every day. | Any travelers with fever, other symptoms or worrisome answers on a health questionnaire will be checked out at a CDC quarantine station. Travelers who do not require additional checking or quarantine will be asked to leave their contact information and check their temperature every day. |
| The new screening will begin at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Saturday. (Nearly half of all travelers from the three West African countries being ravaged by Ebola — Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone — flew through this airport a recent 12-month period, the CDC says.) | The new screening will begin at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Saturday. (Nearly half of all travelers from the three West African countries being ravaged by Ebola — Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone — flew through this airport a recent 12-month period, the CDC says.) |
| Next week, it will be expanded to Washington Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.; O’Hare International Airport, in Chicago; Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta; and Newark Liberty International Airport outside New York. | |
| “These five airports, as you may know, are the destination of 94 percent of individuals who travel to the United States from the three countries that are currently affected by Ebola right now,” Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, said in a briefing Wednesday afternoon. He also emphasized that such travelers make up a very small portion of the people flying to the United States. | |
| About 150 people travel each day from these West African countries to the five airports that will have increased screening, according to the White House and the CDC. | |
| More than 90 million international passengers flew to the U.S. last year. The top five airports at which they arrived were New York’s JFK, Miami, Los Angeles, Newark, N.J., and Chicago. Much of the international air traffic originates from Canada, Mexico, Britain, Japan and Germany. | More than 90 million international passengers flew to the U.S. last year. The top five airports at which they arrived were New York’s JFK, Miami, Los Angeles, Newark, N.J., and Chicago. Much of the international air traffic originates from Canada, Mexico, Britain, Japan and Germany. |
| “Taking temperatures and learning more about passengers coming here from West Africa will provide another necessary line of defense against this epidemic,” Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of the politicians who had been calling for increased screening, said in a statement Wednesday. | |
| Frieden had said this week that the agency was exploring ways to increase passenger screening in the wake of an Ebola diagnosis in Dallas, Tex. | Frieden had said this week that the agency was exploring ways to increase passenger screening in the wake of an Ebola diagnosis in Dallas, Tex. |
| “We’re working very intensively on the screening process,” Frieden said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday. “We’re looking at that entire process to see what more can be done.” | “We’re working very intensively on the screening process,” Frieden said during a conference call with reporters Tuesday. “We’re looking at that entire process to see what more can be done.” |
| But as he did on Wednesday in announcing the new measures, Frieden cautioned that new methods could not eliminate the danger of a person with Ebola coming into the United States. | But as he did on Wednesday in announcing the new measures, Frieden cautioned that new methods could not eliminate the danger of a person with Ebola coming into the United States. |
| “We recognize that whatever we do, until the disease is controlled in Africa, we can’t get the risk to zero here,” he said “We may be able to reduce it.” | “We recognize that whatever we do, until the disease is controlled in Africa, we can’t get the risk to zero here,” he said “We may be able to reduce it.” |
| The CDC has had teams on the ground working to strengthen the screening of passengers leaving West Africa. This screening has included taking temperatures, keeping an eye out for other symptoms and having travelers fill out questionnaires. | The CDC has had teams on the ground working to strengthen the screening of passengers leaving West Africa. This screening has included taking temperatures, keeping an eye out for other symptoms and having travelers fill out questionnaires. |
| He said the CDC methods have been used to screen more than 36,000 people over two months. And of those travelers, a small portion of whom were coming to the United States, only 77 people had a fever or other symptoms that caused them to be taken out of the line, he said. “As far as we know, none of those 77 people had Ebola,” Frieden noted. | He said the CDC methods have been used to screen more than 36,000 people over two months. And of those travelers, a small portion of whom were coming to the United States, only 77 people had a fever or other symptoms that caused them to be taken out of the line, he said. “As far as we know, none of those 77 people had Ebola,” Frieden noted. |
| Of course, these methods are not perfect, as was made clear when Thomas Eric Duncan filled out a questionnaire, had his temperature taken by a person trained by the CDC and boarded multiple flights on his way to Dallas, where he was diagnosed with Ebola. Duncan died Wednesday morning. | Of course, these methods are not perfect, as was made clear when Thomas Eric Duncan filled out a questionnaire, had his temperature taken by a person trained by the CDC and boarded multiple flights on his way to Dallas, where he was diagnosed with Ebola. Duncan died Wednesday morning. |
| Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report. | Juliet Eilperin contributed to this report. |
| [This post has been updated. First published: 11:02 a.m. Last updated: 1:52 p.m.] | [This post has been updated. First published: 11:02 a.m. Last updated: 1:52 p.m.] |
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| Post reporters and infectious disease expert take questions today at Noon | Post reporters and infectious disease expert take questions today at Noon |