A nurse who became the first person quarantined under Gov. Chris Christie's new Ebola-prevention policy has tested negative for the disease, the N.J. Department of Health reported Saturday morning.

The unidentified woman had landed at Newark Liberty International Airport in apparent good health Friday, but was placed in a mandatory quarantine because her visit in Sierra Leone included time treating Ebola patients. While still at the quarantine station at the airport, she developed a fever and was taken to University Hospital in Newark for evaluation.

"The patient continues to be quarantined and remains in isolation and under observation at University Hospital in Newark," said a Department of Health statement issued early Saturday.

"Physicians at University Hospital continue to monitor the patient and consult with the Department of Health and the CDC on patient evaluation and any potential need for additional testing."

The woman, described by friends as a nurse who went to Sierra Leone to help with the epidemic, is a U.S. citizen but not a resident of New Jersey, according to state officials.

Under a new policy jointly announced yesterday by Christie and N.Y. Governor Andrew Cuomo, any passenger whose visit to West Africa put them near an Ebola patient will be placed in quarantine for the 21-day incubation period of the potentially fatal virus - no matter how healthy they appear upon arrival.

The policy affects arrivals at Newark Liberty and JFK International Airport.

That is in contrast to the federal policy still in effect at the other three airports designated to receive travelers from West Africa: Washington Dulles, Chicago and Atlanta. There, passengers who pass a health screening are given a kit with a thermometer and told to report their temperature daily to local authorities.

The two governors imposed the new rule after a New York City doctor returned from volunteering in the region, passed the screening upon arrival, then fell ill and is now hospitalized with the disease.

Kathleen O'Brien may be reached at kobrien@njadvancemedia.com, or at (732) 902-4557. Follow her on Twitter @OBrienLedger. Find NJ.com on Facebook.