US4 min(s) read
One specific form is set to be mandatory for US international flights - getting it wrong could mean prison
.jpg_I4Ebof?tr=cr-0.338.2730.3068,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
If you've got an international flight home booked for this week, there's a new step at the gate you'll want to know about before you get to the airport.
From Tuesday night (November 3), every passenger flying into the United States from another country will have to sign a declaration about Ebola before they're allowed on the plane, as the deadly outbreak in Central Africa keeps growing.
And yes, that includes Americans coming home.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued the order on October 22 and updated it on October 28, and it kicks in for flights leaving at or after 11:59PM ET on Tuesday, November 3 (4:59AM UTC on November 4), making it one of the biggest US news stories for travelers right now.
CDC Ebola declaration applies to US citizens and Green Card holders
According to the CDC's order, the rule covers "all people boarding a flight to the United States from any foreign country, including U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders)."
Crew members have to sign it too, and so do passengers connecting through another country on their way to the US.
It also applies at airports with US preclearance, where travelers go through American border checks before they take off.
The only people who don't need to worry about it are those arriving by land or by sea, since the order only covers air travel.
What the Ebola attestation form asks travelers to confirm
The declaration itself is short.
Travelers have to confirm they haven't been physically present in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the 21 days before they board.
Where it gets trickier is connecting flights, because the CDC says passing through an airport in the DRC counts, even if you never step off the plane.
The day someone leaves the DRC is counted as day zero, and they can't fly to the US until day 22.
Parents or guardians can sign on behalf of children under 18, and airlines have to check every declaration before boarding and keep copies for 42 days.
Penalties for refusing or lying on the CDC Ebola form
Anyone who won't sign the form will be denied boarding, with only rare exemptions for things like specialist medical flights.
Giving false information is a much bigger problem.
In its order, the CDC warns that "willfully providing false or misleading information may lead to criminal fines and imprisonment," under federal law.
According to travel industry outlet PAX News, the order is set to run until December 18 unless it's lifted, changed or extended, which matches the notice the CDC published in the Federal Register on October 30.
Why the CDC introduced the rule as the Ebola outbreak grows
The CDC has been clear about what it's trying to do.
In guidance quoted by PAX News, it said: "This attestation is required as a public health measure intended to reduce the risk of Ebola being introduced into the United States through air travel."
The outbreak, caused by a rare strain called Bundibugyo virus, had reached 10,305 confirmed cases and 4,996 deaths across affected countries as of October 28, according to the CDC, after DRC health ministry figures passed the 10,000 mark, as reported by Al Jazeera on October 27.
That makes it the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record, behind only the 2014 to 2016 epidemic in West Africa.
There's currently no approved vaccine or treatment for this strain, although a first vaccine trial got underway last month.
Cases have also been recorded in Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria and France, and fears about the virus have already disrupted air travel, including an Air France flight to Detroit that was diverted to Canada earlier this year.
The good news for anyone nervous about flying is that no cases linked to the outbreak have been reported in the US, and the CDC says "the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low."
So for most travelers, Tuesday's change will mean one extra signature and nothing more, as long as they read the form properly before they sign it.