All US-bound airline passengers who have been in Uganda in the 21 days before their arrival will be routed to one of five US airports for enhanced Ebola screening, according to a health alert issued last week by the US Embassy in Uganda.
This is in response to Uganda declaring an Ebola outbreak on September 20.
Passengers will be routed to JFK International Airport in New York, Washington-Dulles International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, Chicago-O’Hare International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The screenings include a temperature check, risk assessment, visual symptom check and contact information verification.
No airlines fly directly from Uganda to the US, according to a health advisory from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but “travellers from or passing through affected areas in Uganda can enter the United States on flights connecting from other countries”.
The Ministry of Health in Uganda has since released a notice stating that the country is safe for domestic and international travellers.
The notice also stated that Uganda had registered 44 confirmed cases and 10 deaths during the current outbreak.
