A plane from Dubai has been quarantined in New York after about 100 passengers, including some crew members, reported unknown illnesses, officials said Wednesday.
People complained of cough and fever on the Emirates Airline flight, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement.
Heath officials met the plane on the ground at John F. Kennedy International Airport, and medics and federal customs agents took temperatures of passengers and evaluated symptoms.
Sick passengers were dispatched to hospitals for care, the CDC said.
“Passengers who are not ill will be allowed to continue with their travel plans, and if necessary will be followed up with by health officials,” the CDC said. There were 521 passengers on board flight EK203, the CDC said.
The mayor’s office described the response as a quarantine.
Emirates Airline initially said at least 10 passengers had unspecified illnesses on the flight, but it is unclear why there is a wide disparity in numbers.
Photos from passengers show rows of ambulances and firetrucks on the tarmac. Larry Coben said on Twitter that fellow passengers were asked to fill out CDC forms detailing where people have recently traveled.
The New York State Department of Health did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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