With new cases of Ebola being reported in Mali, airline passengers traveling from the country will be subject to the same Ebola screening procedures already in force at US airports for visitors traveling from Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The new rules will take effect starting today at the five designated gateway airports – New York JFK, Newark, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta.
In addition to the initial airport screening, travelers will be monitored for a 21-day period with twice daily temperature and symptom checks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security said.
"The CDC recommended this measure because there have been a number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Mali in recent days, and a large number of individuals may have been exposed to those cases," a joint CDC/DHS statement said.
There are no direct flights from Mali to the US and the new protocol will affect up to 20 passengers a day, according to current flights data.
