US Restricts West Africa Travelers To 5 Airports

In an effort to curb the spread of Ebola in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday announced that all travelers from countries battling the disease will be funneled through five airports with enhanced screening, USA Today reports.

Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security, announced that travelers from West Africa must arrive at one of the five airports starting Wednesday, the report says.

Customs and Border Protection within the department, the newspaper notes, began enhanced screening—checking the traveler’s temperature and asking about possible exposure to Ebola— at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Oct. 11.

Enhanced screening for travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea was expanded Oct. 16 to Washington’s Dulles, Chicago’s O’Hare, New Jersey’s Newark and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson international airports, the report says.

“We are working closely with the airlines to implement these restrictions with minimal travel disruption,” Johnson said. “If not already handled by the airlines, the few impacted travelers should contact the airlines for rebooking, as needed.”

Key Republicans offered muted praise, but pressed for stricter travel restrictions.

SEE ALSO