NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- John F. Kennedy International Airport has been designated the fourth arrival facility for U.S.-bound travelers from several countries affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
JFK joins three other international airports—Washington Dulles, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson and Houston George Bush—as designated hubs for the flights from Central Africa.
The airport will begin serving as an arrival facility on Thursday night, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The airports will serve all flights "carrying individuals who have recently travelled from—or were otherwise present within—the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda or South Sudan," according to CBP.
An air traffic control tower is seen at John F. Kennedy International Airport.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
CBP said it’s a “proactive measure” in response to “the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak.”
The news comes as Uganda on Wednesday ordered the “immediate” closure of its border with Congo as cases of a rare Ebola type surge.
The number of suspected Ebola cases in eastern Congo is nearing 1,000, with at least 220 suspected deaths.
This week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out an “urgent request” to its staffers to help screen travelers from Central Africa for signs of Ebola, ABC News reported.
Health workers wearing protective equipment disinfect an isolation ward inside the General Referral Hospital during the Ebola outbreak response on May 21, 2026 in Mongbwalu, Democratic Republic of Congo.Michel Lunanga/Getty Images
