Five U.S. Airports Start Advanced Ebola Screenings

Five airports have begun advanced screening for passengers who have possibly been exposed to Ebola.

Officials at five U.S. airports will begin taking temperatures of passengers who are returning to the U.S. from West Africa.

The extra screening measures will start at New York's JFK International Airport, Newark International Airport in New Jesey, O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, and Atlanta-area airports.

"We believe these new measures will further protect the health of Americans, understanding that nothing we can do will get us to absolute zero risk until we end the Ebola epidemic in West Africa," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden said in a statement.

The screenings are being conducted after a man with Liberian nationality returned to his home in Dallas, Texas infected with the disease after visiting Liberia and helping a person with Ebola there. His return to the U.S. forced officials to monitor 48 people who either had direct or indirect contact with the patient, including several children.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said at a press conference on Wednesday that the decision to monitor certain airports was just the next logical security step.

"What we are essentially doing is adding another layer of security," Earnest said.

"These measures are really just belt-and-suspenders -- it's an added layer of protection on top of the procedures already in place at several airports," President Barack Obama added. "It will give us the ability to isolate, evaluate and monitor travelers as needed. And we'll be able to collect any contact information that's necessary."