J.F.K. Airport to Begin Screening Some Passengers for Ebola The U.S. has initiated enhanced health screenings at select airports for travelers originating from Ebola-affected regions, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda. These measures, part of a broader public health strategy, aim to identify individuals potentially exposed to the virus. John F. Kennedy International Airport will commence these screenings after 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, becoming the fourth U.S. airport to implement such protocols since the outbreak began. For the past week, the United States has been rerouting travelers from the three Ebola-affected countries to designated airports for thorough health checks. This effort follows existing screenings at Washington Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasized in a Thursday news release that JFK Airport had previously conducted similar checks during other public health crises and had established operational procedures to manage such scenarios. All travelers arriving in the U.S. from these regions, regardless of immigration or citizenship status, may be subject to these screenings. U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed the decision to expand screenings to JFK earlier this week. The Ebola outbreak has resulted in over 1,000 confirmed cases and more than 200 deaths, according to current estimates. Public health experts have highlighted the challenges posed by the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) last year, which left detection and response efforts underfunded and less effective.#united_states #centers_for_disease_control_and_prevention #democratic_republic_of_congo #jfk_airport #south_sudan
