The United States and France have both extended their Ebola airport screening procedures to cover passengers arriving from Mali. The French Foreign Ministry has also advised its citizens to avoid travel to Mali, in particular to Bamako and the western city of Kayes. In the U.S., all travelers whose trip originated in Mali will now be subject to a 21-day monitoring and movement program which includes twice-daily temperature and symptom checks in coordination with public health authorities. Below is the statement released by the CDC concerning these measures.
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Sarah Dedic | Security Analyst | Abt Associates
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Enhanced Airport Entry Screening to Begin for Travelers to the United States from Mali
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added Mali to the list of Ebola-affected nations for which enhanced screening and monitoring measures will be taken. There are no direct flights from Mali to the United States. However, each day, a small number of travelers, averaging 15-20, begin itineraries in Mali and transit through other countries en route to the United States. The majority of these travelers are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents returning home to America.
The CDC recommended this measure because there have been a number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Mali in recent days, and a large number of individuals may have been exposed to those cases. Thus, the action is warranted as a precaution due to the possibility that other cases of Ebola may emerge in Mali in the coming days. CDC will continue to reassess this determination on a regular basis going forward.
Effective Monday, November 17th, people arriving in the United States whose travel began in Mali will be subject to the same enhanced entry screening, health and Ebola exposure assessment, and symptoms monitoring that are already employed for travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. In addition, all travelers entering the United States from Mali will be subject to the 21-day monitoring and movement protocols now in effect for travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, with twice daily temperature and symptom checks in coordination with state or local public health authorities. For ease of administration, we will work with the airlines to ensure re-routing for the few travelers from Mali not already scheduled to land at one of the five airports in the United States (New York JFK, Newark, Washington-Dulles, Chicago-O'Hare, and Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson) already performing screening on passengers from the other affected West African nations.