Ebola outbreaks within the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, result in CDC guidelines for air passengers

March 03, 2021

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Walensky does not report any relevant financial information.

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The CDC said it will begin obliging airlines to collect information from air travelers entering the US from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Guinea, where two separate Ebola outbreaks continue.

The CDC also said the US government will serve passengers from both countries through certain airports.

Starting Thursday, airlines must collect contact information for all travelers who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or Guinea within 21 days of arriving in the United States and report it to the CDC. It said the information would be shared with state and local health officials so they could “properly monitor arrivals in their jurisdiction.”

“To provide timely public health follow-up care, health officials must have immediate access to accurate and complete contact information for travelers when they arrive in the US,” said the CDC director Rochelle PP Walensky, MD, MPH, said in a press release. “Inaccurate or incomplete contact information affects the ability of health authorities to protect the health of travelers and the general public quickly. Any delay in contacting an exposed person can increase the likelihood of the disease spreading. “

Rochelle PP Walensky

The CDC also announced that travelers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or Guinea will be diverted to six US airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, New York and Washington DC. According to the CDC, more than 96% of travelers from these countries come to these locations.

Health officials explained the outbreaks last month. To date, 11 cases and four deaths have been reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while 15 cases and six deaths have been reported in Guinea. According to the WHO, vaccination campaigns are running at both locations.

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