WASHINGTON – Dulles International Airport has started screening passengers from three West African nations for Ebola symptoms.
The airport in Northern Virginia is one of five that began taking the temperatures of arriving passengers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea – the three countries most impacted by the disease. Screening measures are also in place at New York’s John F. Kennedy, Chicago’s O’Hare, New Jersey’s Newark and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airports.
At Dulles, Ndukwe Ikechukwu, a passenger arriving Thursday from Nigeria, said he had been checked in both countries despite not coming from one of the hotspots. But it was swift and easy, he said.
“I think it’s necessary,” Ikechukwu said. “Everybody has to be part of the fight against Ebola because it’s nobody’s friend.”
Chris Paolino, a Dulles spokesman, said fire and rescue workers are ready to respond as needed. But he noted that the screening doesn’t apply to any domestic travelers or anyone leaving the airport.
“The vast majority of the passengers at Dulles are not going to see a major impact to their travel as a result of the enhanced screening,” Paolino said.
Passengers from the affected countries are required to fill out questionnaires and contact information forms. Customs and Border Protection personnel will refer a traveler with a fever or other symptoms to the CDC for further assessment. The two agencies are running the screening process.