MIAMI – Tensions are rising at airports around the United States, as workers and passengers want to make sure they are safe from Ebola. And now, Florida Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson is proposing strict new guidelines for people trying to come to the U.S.
On Thursday, business was running as usual at both Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, as both airports did not have any flights coming in from Ebola-affected regions. For this reason, airport officials at both locations said no extra screenings were being instilled.
Meanwhile, in New York, nearly 200 LaGuardia Airport employees who are responsible for cleaning airplanes are protesting. Some even walked off the job Thursday, despite experts reiterating that the virus is only transmitted through direct contact with a sick patient. However, the workers said they still feel at risk.
For reasons like this, Nelson proposed limiting travel visas for people trying to come to the U.S. from Ebola-affected regions.
"They are having the checks coming out of the African countries, and the checks when travelers come into the U.S.," said Nelson. "I have suggested to the secretary of state that we go an additional step, and that is to temporarily suspend the visas since there are not that many that travel originating from those three countries and we will get this under control."
Officials with the Broward Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met at FLL Thursday to discuss the Ebola epidemic and whether anything else needs to be done to keep their passengers safe.
Meanwhile, the five gateway airports that will begin doing health screenings on passengers beginning on Saturday are Chicago O'hare, Newark Liberty, Kennedy International in New York, Washington Dulles and Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.
Border patrol agents will begin taking passengers temperatures at New York's Kennedy airport Saturday and the other airports on the list will follow suit next week.
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