Philadelphia International Airport Says It’s Prepared for Ebola

But there are no direct flights from West Africa.

If you’re sitting in a clean room at home, determined to keep Ebola out of your house, here’s a piece of good news: The Philadelphia International Airport is prepared to intervene should any virus-stricken passengers arrive here.

But that’s unlikely: PHL receives no direct flights from West Africa, where the disease is mostly located so far.

Here’s the airport’s press release today on the topic:

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) continues to coordinate with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to identify arriving international travelers displaying symptoms of communicable disease such as Ebola. Close coordination with federal, state and local agencies, including the City’s Health Department, is ongoing to minimize any risk to our passengers and employees.

PHL does not have any direct flights from West Africa. Additionally, PHL is not one of the five U.S. airports designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for additional Ebola screenings.

The current guidance, as provided by CDC, calls for CBP personnel to observe all international travelers entering the US for symptoms or overt signs of illness and to ask a series of questions. If CBP identifies a passenger suspected to be infected, CBP will coordinate with CDC and local public health authorities for further medical evaluation.

We will continue to monitor this situation as it develops.