CDC: Travelers from Liberia No Longer Screened for Ebola

Travelers entering the United States from Liberia will no longer be screened for the Ebola virus starting on Monday, September 21, 2015, according to a statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Liberia was declared free of Ebola transmission by the World Health Organization (WHO) on September 3. The last person who had a confirmed case of the virus tested negative for the second time on July 22. The country is now in a 90-day period of heightened surveillance.

The CDC and Department of Homeland Security will no longer evaluate travelers from Liberia at any of the five enhance entry screening airports. Therefore, these travelers will be able to enter the US at any airport. Although these particular people will no longer be screened, those coming from other West African countries will still be required to go through the process.

“Entry screening and monitoring will not change for travelers entering the United States from Guinea or Sierra Leone,” the statement clarified. “This includes travelers from Liberia who have also traveled to either Guinea or Sierra Leone within the previous 21 days.”

Regardless of the update, the CDC advises that healthcare providers still follow protocol which includes screening all patients for travel, assessing exposure history, and following guidelines for those who show symptoms of Ebola. In addition, the organization reminds clinicians of other infectious diseases that can be acquired from traveling, such as malaria.

For more information on Ebola or evaluating travelers, visit the CDC website.