Passengers travelling to the US from countries affected by Ebola will have to go through stricter screening procedures at five major US airports.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, JFK and Newark in New York, Washington’s Dulles Airport and Atlanta International Airport will start screening passengers in the coming days.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

White House spokesman Josh Earnest was quoted by ABC News as saying that temperatures would be taken with a device that would avoid direct contact with the travellers.

"As long as Ebola continues to spread in Africa, we can’t make the risk zero here."

He also said that these five airports cover the destinations of 94% of the people who travel to the US from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea which are the worst hit countries.

Passengers travelling from these will now have to answer additional questions and also have their temperatures taken.

See Also:

Earnest also estimated that 150 people would be checked every day under the new procedures.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Apart from distributing factsheets about the symptoms of Ebola, travellers will be given a questionnaire. If they answer yes to any questions or are running a fever, a representative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will intervene and provide a public health assessment. Any passenger showing symptoms will be sent to local health workers.

President Barack Obama said the new efforts would help in strengthening the protection at key US points of entry.

ABC News quoted CDC director Thomas Frieden as saying: "However, the focus is still on stopping the epidemic in West Africa. As long as Ebola continues to spread in Africa, we can’t make the risk zero here."

More than 3,400 have died from Ebola in West Africa to date.