Lambert addresses policy in wake of Ebola concerns
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport said today it has not received any directive from local or federal agencies to alter its current emergency response plans regarding communicable diseases or illnesses in the wake of the national concern over Ebola.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Projection on Wednesday released information on steps being taken at five major airports to prevent the spread of Ebola.
Enhanced health screenings will be enacted at these international airports: New York’s John F. Kennedy, Washington-Dulles, Newark, Chicago O’Hare, and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. These airports receive more than 94 percent of passengers who travel into to the U.S. from affected countries in West Africa.
Lambert has no direct international transoceanic service. Travelers from overseas must arrive into other domestic airports prior to flying to St. Louis, the airport said in a statement released this afternoon.
Lambert said it would respond to any report of a threat based on its FAA certification procedures regarding communicable diseases or illnesses. Procedures to respond to a potential communicable illness include isolating an arrival aircraft away from the terminal. The airport’s first responders would then assess the illness threat and alert other emergency response agencies and local health departments if necessary.
