U.S. Airports Will Conduct Mandatory Temperature Checks on Passengers from West Africa

American airports will begin mandatory Ebola screenings, including temperature checks, for all passengers arriving from Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen reported on Wednesday that federal officials will check the temperature of everyone traveling to the United States from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and possibly other West African nations. The screenings will begin as early as this weekend, and will be conducted through the use of hand-held infrared thermometers aimed at the head, which are designed to reduce contact with potentially infected individuals.

Passengers will also be asked if they had any contact with Ebola patients or are suffering from symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea.

“This is a sea change from what is currently happening,” Cohen said, explaining that when she came in from Liberia to Atlanta, on September 27, “there was basically no screening whatsoever, which I found really shocking.”