11 U.S. airports will receive flights carrying passengers from China

WASHINGTON – To protect the American people from exposure to the coronavirus, on Sunday, February 2, 2020, the Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf issued instructions supplementing a decision issued on January 31, 2020, and directed all flights from China and all passengers who have traveled to China within the last 14 days to be routed through one of eight U.S. airports, effective Sunday, February 2nd, 2020, for flights departing after 5:00 PM Eastern. Three additional airports will be added to the list of airports authorized to receive such flights beginning at various times on Monday, February 3, 2020. At these eleven airports, the United States Government has established enhanced screening procedures and the capacity to quarantine passengers, if needed.

Additionally, U.S. citizens who have been in Hubei province within 14 days of their return will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine to ensure they are provided proper medical care and health screening. U.S. citizens who have been in other areas of mainland China within 14 days of their return will undergo proactive entry health screening and up to 14 days of self-quarantine with health monitoring to ensure they have not contracted the virus and do not pose a public health risk. Generally, foreign nationals (other than immediate family of U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and flight crew) who have traveled in China within 14 days of their arrival, will be denied entry into the United States.

“While the overall risk to the American public remains low, funneling all flights with passengers who have recently been in China is the most important and prudent step we can take at this time to decrease the strain on public health officials screening incoming travelers. These steps will also expedite the processing of U.S. citizens returning from China, and ensure resources are focused on the health and safety of the American people,” said DHS Acting Secretary Chad F. Wolf. “We realize this could provide added stress and prolong travel times for some individuals, however public health and security experts agree these measures are necessary to contain the virus and protect the American people. To minimize disruptions, CBP and air carriers are working to identify qualifying passengers before their scheduled flights. Once back in the U.S., it’s imperative that individuals honor self-quarantine directives to help protect the American public.”

“The American public can be assured that DHS and its component agencies are taking decisive action to analyze the threat, minimize risk, and slow the spread of the virus by working closely with CDC health professionals and interagency partners involved in this whole-of-government effort,” he added.

DHS and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have coordinated extensively with air carriers and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to designate the eleven U.S. airports at which CDC will seek to identify potentially ill persons.

Effective Sunday, February 2nd at 5:00 PM EST, Americans flying to the United States from China will be re-routed to the following airports at no cost to the traveler:

John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Illinois

San Francisco International Airport (SFO), California

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Washington

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL), Hawaii

Los Angeles International Airport, (LAX), California

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Georgia

Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Virginia

Effective at 6:30 AM EST on Monday, February 3rd, this list of airports is expanded to include:

Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), New Jersey

Effective at 7:30 AM EST on Monday, February 3rd, this list of airports is expanded to include:

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW), Michigan

Although the CDC expects more cases of the coronavirus in the U.S., the risk of infection for Americans remains low, and all agencies are working aggressively to monitor this continuously evolving situation and to keep the public educated and informed:

American air travelers should be aware that if they have been to China in the last 14 days, they will be routed through one of eleven airports to undergo enhanced health screenings.

Any individual traveling from China who has either been in Hubei Province or other areas of the mainland and is showing symptoms associated with the virus will be screened and subject to mandatory quarantine by medical professionals at a nearby facility.

If a traveler who spent time in China, but outside the Hubei province, is re-routed through one of the eleven airports and shows no symptoms following a health screening, they will be re-booked to their destination and asked to “self-quarantine” at their homes.

CBP and air carriers are working together to identify and rebook any passengers that meet these criteria, however other travelers without a nexus to China may also be routed through one of these eleven airports if it is discovered mid-flight that someone else on their flight has been in China in the last 14 days.

Travelers showing symptoms should be prepared for the possibility of prolonged delay to avoid spreading the infection.

For the latest information on the outbreak, visit CDC’s Novel Coronavirus 2019 website.

Additional Information