Federal health authorities announced Saturday they are expanding enhanced Ebola screening procedures to include Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for U.S. citizens returning from three African countries affected by the viral outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Americans traveling back from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan now have two airports where they can enter the United States under the enhanced screening protocols.
According to the CDC, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has experience conducting passenger screenings and already has the necessary operational systems ready to implement. Earlier this week, officials had designated Washington’s Dulles International Airport as the initial screening location for returning citizens who may have been exposed to the Ebola virus.
The enhanced health screening at entry points represents just one part of the CDC’s comprehensive strategy to prevent Ebola transmission, which also involves screening passengers before they leave affected countries overseas, requiring airlines to report illnesses during flights, and monitoring people’s health after they arrive in the United States.
According to the World Health Organization’s latest figures, health officials have verified 82 Ebola cases in the DRC so far, resulting in seven confirmed fatalities and 177 suspected deaths. Nearly 750 additional suspected cases are connected to the Bundibugyo strain of the virus.
The Trump administration implemented additional restrictions earlier this week, prohibiting non-U.S. citizens who have recently visited the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan from entering the country.
