CDC to require airlines to collect information from passengers traveling into US from Guinea and DRC

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) - Due to current outbreaks of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Guinea, airlines will be required to collect information for contact tracing from passengers who were in these countries within 21 days before arrival to the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, collection of information begins Thursday, March 4.

The goal is to identify and locate individuals who may have been exposed to Ebola while being abroad, and prevent the spread of the disease within U.S. communities.

The CDC says that having access to travelers’ contact information will allow U.S. federal, state, and local health departments and agencies to provide health information, monitor travelers for signs and symptoms of Ebola, and ensure travelers who develop symptoms are quickly isolated and receive appropriate medical evaluation and care.

The CDC will collect people’s names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and emergency contact information from travelers arriving from the DRC and Guinea. Airlines and other aircraft operators will collect the information and submit it electronically to the CDC.

The U.S. government will also begin to redirect air passengers from DRC and Guinea to six U.S. airports, where over 96% of air passengers from these countries already arrive. The six airports include New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD), Atlanta (ATL), Washington D.C. (IAD), Newark (EWR) and Los Angeles (LAX).