JUST IN CASE

U.S. to Start Tracking Passengers From Ebola-Stricken Countries, CDC Says

Although the risk of the deadly disease for the U.S. is “extremely low,” the CDC said, authorities will “institute public health measures” in light of outbreaks in Guinea and DRC.

The U.S. government will begin tracking passengers arriving in the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea in light of Ebola outbreaks there, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced late Friday. Although the risk of the deadly disease for the U.S. is “extremely low,” the CDC said, authorities will “institute public health measures” for certain travelers “out of an abundance of caution.” “Beginning next week, the U.S. government will funnel travelers from DRC and Guinea to six U.S. airports. Airlines will collect and transmit passenger information to CDC for public health follow-up and intervention for all passengers boarding a flight to the U.S. who were in DRC or Guinea within the previous 21 days,” the public health agency said, adding that the information will be passed on to local health departments for monitoring. Guinea reported its first Ebola outbreak in years earlier this month, and the disease has since killed at least five people there. Several deaths have also been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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