Diminishing the Threat of Ebola on Airplanes Across the United States
After claiming countless lives throughout West Africa last year, the Ebola epidemic appears to finally be receding.
Although the epicenter of the outbreak occurred thousands of miles from American soil, by the end of 2014 there were ten reported cases of the disease across the United States, resulting in two fatalities. The fact that just under 70 million travelers passed through the United States last year underlines the reality that stopping the spread of communicable diseases is a difficult and complicated task.
In October 2014, the Federal Government implemented several important measures to prevent the escalation of any Ebola outbreaks on U.S. soil. The five major international airports, where most passengers from Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea (the countries affected most by the epidemic) enter the United States, began implementing screenings for passengers with signs of fever. These airports are: JFK in New York City, O’Hare in Chicago, Newark Liberty in New Jersey, Dulles in Washington and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
In late October, officials announced that all passengers arriving from these countries would be subject to 21 days of monitoring upon landing. However, some congressional leaders, such as Michael McCaul and Ed Royce urged for further measures to be taken, including the suspension of all visas to visitors from the affected West African nations.
While the number of Ebola cases in West Africa is dropping significantly, it’s too early to be complacent. If there’s a lesson to be learned from previous outbreaks, it’s that the disease has an ability to make a rapid comeback.
Therefore, the measures put in place late last year means that the United States Government is prepared to deal with future outbreaks and mitigate the potential spread of Ebola via air travel.
If you or a family member contracts Ebola in Georgia, you may need legal assistance for yourself or your loved ones from one of our Atlanta personal injury lawyers or Savannah accident attorneys. Harris Lowry Manton’s wrongful death attorneys are experts in the field of aviation law and are here to help.
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