Refuse to sign, miss your flight: What the CDC's new travel rule means for you

Starting Nov. 3, the U.S. CDC will require travelers boarding international flights to the United States to sign an attestation stating they have not been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the 21 days before departure. The CDC says the statement applies to everyone on aircraft operations connected to the flight, including crew involved in passenger and cargo aircraft and crew positioning. The requirement is tied to an escalating Ebola outbreak in the DRC. WHO reports the epidemic is the largest ever recorded in the country, with 4,665 confirmed cases and 2,184 deaths, for a crude case fatality ratio of 46.8%, now spread across 54 health zones in six provinces. Operators must obtain the signed form, and refusals mean passengers won’t be allowed to board.