New constraints are being imposed on people entering the country from three nations at the center of West Africa's Ebola epidemic, according to The Associated Press.
Travelers entering the United States from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guimnea must report their temperature daily and stay in touch with health authorities, the AP reported.
The CDC said that, beginning on Monday, travelers from the three countries will be told to check in with health officials every day and report their temperatures and any Ebola symptoms for 21 days, the period of incubation for the virus, the AP reported.
The travelers will be required to provide emails, phone numbers and addresses for themselves and for a friend or relative in the United States covering the 21 days, and the information will be shared with local health authorities, according to the AP.
The travelers also will be required to coordinate with local public health officials if they intend to travel within the United States, the AP reported. If a traveler does not report in, local health officials will take immediate steps to find the person.
The CDC said when affected travelers enter one of the five airports they will receive a care kit that contains a tracking log, a pictorial description of symptoms, a thermometer, instructions on how to monitor their temperature and information on what to do if they experience symptoms, according to the AP.
The active monitoring program will remain in place until the outbreak in West Africa is over, according to the CDC. The monitoring program affects anyone coming back from the region, including CDC employees and journalists.
The U.N. World Health Organization's latest figures on Wednesday showed at least 4,877 people out of 9,936 confirmed, probable and suspected cases have died in the outbreak, the AP reported.
Also beginning Wednesday, travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone or Guinea were being funneled through one of five major U.S. airports: New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and Georgia, according to the AP. Increased screening for the virus would also be conducted.
