Public Health Officials Will Start Screening For New Coronavirus At Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

“The CDC will be onsite at ATL’s International Terminal to process any passengers who exhibit severe symptoms or who may have come in contact with the disease,” airport officials said in a statement.

David Goldman / Associated Press file

Public health officials will start screening for cases of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) at two more airports this week: O’Hare International in Chicago and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International.

It’s part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s escalated response to the respiratory illness, which has sickened hundreds and killed at least six people in China. The agency confirmed the first case in the U.S. this week.

“Enhanced airport screening is just one part of a layered approach to increasing the public health and health care delivery system to raising its awareness to properly detect these cases early,” said Dr. Nancy Messonnier with the CDC on a call with reporters Tuesday.