US won’t turn back flights over Ebola

The United States will not turn back flights from West Africa over concerns about the Ebola virus, the White House said Monday.

“There are in place a lot of precautions to ensure the safety of the American public and the traveling public,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday at a press briefing.

Asked if the administration would block flights from the affected countries, he said, “No, not at this point.”

The comments follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) allowing airlines to deny boarding to passengers who are exhibiting Ebola symptoms.

The CDC has also stepped up training for Customs and Border Patrol personnel in order to identify people who should be quarantined for the illness.

Earnest noted that people leaving the affected countries must undergo screening before departure and then again upon arrival in the United States.

“We are in a position to ensure the public health is protected,” he said.

The Obama administration is under pressure to describe its response to Ebola, which has killed nearly 900 people in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone since March.

Experts have described the outbreak as the worst on record and say it is still growing despite efforts to contain the virus.

Although two Americans have contracted the disease in West Africa, there is no evidence that Ebola is active and unidentified on U.S. soil, according to the CDC.

“The CDC has assessed that there is no significant risk to the United States from the current Ebola outbreak,” Earnest said.