Travelers from the West African nation of Mali will be screened for Ebola upon entry to the U.S. starting Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced Sunday.
While there are no direct flights from Mali to the United States, about 15-20 people travel from the country, situated to the north of Guinea, to other countries to board connecting flights to the U.S. each day, according a statement from the Department of Homeland Security.
"The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) recommended this measure because there have been a number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Mali in recent days," the statement said.
The World Health Organization reported a "cluster" of Ebola cases in a city in Mali, stemming from one man who became infected from Ebola in Guinea and then traveled to Mali. Three people in Mali are infected with Ebola, and one person has died in a different city, in an unrelated case, according to the CDC.
U.S. airports began screening people from the Ebola-ravaged countries of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone in early October.
Those travelers are also required to work with authorities to monitor their temperatures and potential symptoms for 21 days. "All travelers entering the United States from Mali will be subject to the 21-day monitoring and movement protocols now in effect for travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea," the Department of Homeland Security said. There have been 14,383 reported Ebola cases in the three most affected countries since the outbreak began, and 5,165 reported deaths, according to the CDC.
IN-DEPTH
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