If you're flying to the United States — or even just changing planes at a US airport — there's a new step to add to your pre-flight checklist. From November 3, all passengers heading to or transiting through the US must complete and sign a health declaration before boarding, under a directive from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The move is a response to the current Ebola outbreak in Africa. The declaration is a sworn statement in which travellers certify they have not been in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at any point in the 21 days before departure — the incubation window health authorities use for monitoring potential exposure.
Crucially, the rule applies to everyone, regardless of nationality, and regardless of whether the US is your final destination or merely a layover on a longer route. That makes it relevant to plenty of travellers who would never consider themselves US-bound: anyone connecting through hubs like Miami, Houston, New York or Atlanta on their way elsewhere needs to factor it in.
Airlines are already rolling this out. Avianca confirmed it would implement the screening measure for flights departing on or after November 3, and other carriers serving US routes are expected to follow the same CDC mandate. Expect check-in staff or airline apps to prompt you for the signed declaration before you're allowed to board.
The purpose is straightforward: strengthen public health surveillance and cut the risk of Ebola spreading through international air travel, without the need for broad travel bans. Signing a declaration is a lighter-touch measure than quarantine or entry prohibitions, but it carries legal weight — a sworn statement, not just a tick-box form.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is simple. If you have been in the DRC in the three weeks before your flight, be aware that a US trip or connection will be off the table under this rule. If you haven't, the process should add little more than a minute or two at check-in — but skipping it could mean being denied boarding, so don't leave it to the gate.
With the requirement covering both arrivals and transit passengers, it's worth double-checking your itinerary if you're booking multi-leg trips that touch a US airport, even briefly. Airlines will notify affected passengers, but the responsibility to complete the declaration sits with the traveller. Source: Dominican Today.
