Newark Airport Begins Ebola Screenings

Newark Liberty Airport is now one of the five airports in the United States to screen incoming passengers for fevers and other possible symptoms of Ebola. Across the metropolitan region, various safety, health and transportation agencies are ramping up efforts to contain the disease, should it arrive here.

Recapping a visit to Washington earlier this week, where he spoke with White House counter-terrorism officials and others, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said that "the topic of Ebola is at the very top of the agenda." Local leaders here say the keys to readiness are education, equipment and training.

But workers say that sometimes that all comes together, and sometimes it doesn't. The New York State Nurses Association praised Bellevue Hospital's preparedness efforts, but union member and registered nurse Anthony Ciampa said New York-Presbyterian, where he works, has not inspired confidence with its readiness drills.

"Preparation, I am sorry to report, is inadequate," he said. "We are using generic gowns and gear and not hazmat suits."

Chiampa said the gear fits poorly and drills have been haphazard. New York-Presbyterian did not return requests seeking comment, but after Chiampa made the statement in a national conference call, the union received a pledge from management to improve.

Meanwhile, Vincent Variale of the Uniformed EMS Officers Union said city ambulance personnel are generally getting what they need from the Fire Department — though there is room for improvement.

"We know the equipment we have could use some upgrading and some of it does need to be replaced," he said. "That's being addressed by the FDNY management."

Variale said the FDNY has been doing lots of drills, large and small, around different Ebola scenarios. Out at the local airports, spokesman Steve Coleman says Port Authority police officers are not getting special Ebola training, but they have received kits with protective gear.

"They're trained to deal with chemical diseases during their training, how to put on gear, and they're given refresher courses annually, so they can stay fresh," he said.

It will fall to customs and border protection agents, not police officers, to administer the screening. They will escort passengers arriving from Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone to a separate area, where they will be observed for signs of illness, asked several questions and have their temperature taken. If they have a fever or show other symptoms, or if the questionnaire suggests possible exposure, a CDC officer will evaluate them further. 

They will then either be allowed to proceed to their destination or potentially taken to a local hospital for more definitive assessment.