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Rep. Peter King Voices Concern Over Ongoing JFK Ebola-Screening Vulnerabilities

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson Thursday, Rep. Peter King expressed his concern over apparent ongoing vulnerabilities at John F. Kennedy International Airport regarding Ebola procedures.

King said there are between 70-100 people arriving at the airport per day from countries impacted by the Ebola outbreak.

Web Extra: Read The Letter (.pdf)

That is more than 2/3 of the total number of passengers of concern entering the United States on a daily basis, King said.

Since those passengers use the bathrooms and walk around the airport before being screened, King said "Given the high volume of travelers at JFK, it is essential that extraordinary measures are taken to intercept possible Ebola-infected passengers while keeping the public, CBPOs and other first responders safe from exposure."

Noting that a passenger passed away on a flight that landed at JFK from Nigeria today, King said he had very serious concerns about the exam conducted by the CDC to determine the passenger did not have Ebola, and the lack of instructions to officials on how to handle the remains and other passengers.

King demanded a set of protocols immediately be put in place, and that he receive a response to specific airport preparedness questions no later than Friday.

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