NEW YORK (PIX11) – A local New York City airport is now among the major airports in the United States implementing enhanced Ebola screenings, according to a memo obtained by PIX11 News.

Any American citizen who has been in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan within 21 days of returning to the United States must go to designated airports for enhanced screening.

Discover more local reporting on our homepage

The airports conducting these screenings are John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Washington Dulles International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Starting Thursday, May 29th, enhanced screenings will begin at JFK, according to the memo.

“As a proactive measure to protect the safety of the American public in response to the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak, the Secretary of Homeland Security, pursuant to 6 U.S.C. 112(a), 19 U.S.C. 1433(c), and 19 CFR 122.32, directed all flights to the United States carrying persons who have recently traveled from, or were otherwise present within, the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” reads a modification of designated airports regarding arrival restrictions.

How do screening screenings work?

Travelers who were in the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan before arriving in the US will be escorted to a designated screening area at the airport, according to the CDC website.

Travelers will respond to a brief questionnaire that asks about travel history and symptoms.

CDC staff will observe these travelers for signs of illness and take their temperatures

Travelers who do not have symptoms but have been in DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan will be given information on monitoring their health.

Travelers will be allowed to continue to their final destinations.

Traveler contact information will be shared with state and local health departments for additional follow-up.

If a traveler has a fever or other symptoms, they will be evaluated by the CDC.

If a suspect case is identified, the CDC will work with state and local health departments to conduct routine contact investigations to notify passengers.

To date, no suspected, probable, or confirmed cases of Ebola have been reported in the United States, accoridng to the CDC.

For more information on Ebola, click here.

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.