Enhanced Entry Airport Screening for Ebola Modified for Travelers from Guinea to the United States

Media Statement

For Immediate Release: Monday, December 28, 2015
Contact: Media Relations
(404) 639-3286

On Dec. 29, 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will modify enhanced Ebola port-of-entry screening for travelers from Guinea.

Travelers departing Guinea and entering the United States will be routed through designated U.S. airports conducting enhanced entry screening. These travelers will answer questions about travel history and possible exposures to Ebola. Travelers will also provide their contact information so that the health department at their destination can connect with them, if needed.

Under the modified entry screening, travelers from Guinea with no enhanced risk factors will receive a modified CARE (Check and Report Ebola) kit with information about Ebola, a thermometer, and contact information for state and local health departments (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/travelers/care-kit.html). Travelers will be encouraged to watch their health for 21 days after leaving Guinea and to contact their local health departments or seek healthcare if they develop symptoms consistent with Ebola. Travelers from Guinea will no longer need to be actively monitored by or be in daily contact with their health departments. CDC will continue to evaluate the need for continued screening of travelers from Guinea at regular intervals to consider whether additional step-down measures may be warranted.

Travelers leaving Guinea will remain subject to outbound screening measures and the United States will continue to support Guinea’s Ebola prevention and detection measures, including at its primary international airport.

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES