Key Highlights
- The Biden administration said that the United States would start screening travelers from Uganda for Ebola as an extra precaution.
- It is started to prevent an outbreak in the African country from spreading.
With “no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases” of Ebola having been reported beyond Uganda, the risk in the US is seen as low currently, said a senior administration official who was not authorized to discuss the screening protocols publicly. The official reported the screening move as “an additional precaution.”
The screenings will start rolling out immediately, with full coverage from passengers from Uganda expected to be in place by the end of the week.
Travelers who have been in Uganda at any location during the past 21-days, which is the incubation period for the virus, will be redirected to one of the five American airports for Ebola screening. The airports are JFK International Airport in New York, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Washington-Dulles International Airport, Chicago-O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The passengers will have a temperature check, visual symptom check, risk assessment, and contact information verification conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Authorities will share that data with local health departments at the final destination of the travelers. The screenings will start rolling out immediately, with full coverage from passengers from Uganda anticipated to be in place by the week’s end.
The administration says around 145 people per day enter the US from Uganda, with most already arriving at one of the five airports serving as large airline hubs. Their airline will rebook anyone scheduled to fly into a different airport.
Ebola, which is indicated as viral hemorrhagic fever, is spread through contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials. Symptoms of Ebola include fever, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and internal and external bleeding.
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