Coronavirus: US airports in disarray over screening

By , K24 Digital
On Sun, 15 Mar, 2020 12:19 | < 1 min read
Passengers arriving at Chicago O'Hare were having to wait for hours. PHOTO | BBC
Passengers arriving at Chicago O'Hare were having to wait for hours. PHOTO | BBC

US airports have been thrown into chaos as new coronavirus health screening measures for people returning from Europe are brought into force.

Long queues formed as travellers waited for hours for the screenings before passing through customs.

Earlier, Vice-President Mike Pence said a ban imposed on travel from European nations would be extended to the UK and Ireland on Tuesday.

The US has more than 2,700 confirmed cases, with 54 deaths.

Illinois governor JB Pritzker said the long lines at Chicago's O'Hare airport were "unacceptable".

People have been tweeting pictures and videos of passengers waiting to be processed, forming large crowds in airport terminals.

Passengers are being questioned about their medical histories and checked for symptoms.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said his office was working with airlines to improve screening times.

Some public health experts have noted that waiting in crowded terminals could potentially lead to more people becoming infected with the virus.

On Friday, President Trump declared a national state of emergency to release $50bn (£40bn) to fight the spread of the virus.